Mistake Messenger
by LumiOlivier
Summary: A one-shot collection of alternate routes for Mystic Messenger ranging from sweet and fluffy to naughty and depraved. MC x EVERYONE.
1. Jumin Han: Bad Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! I debated for a while whether or not to post something like this, but what the hell? Why not? My Thursdays are empty and this was collecting dust in my computer. Originally, I was going to do this by posting all of it at the same time, so you could pick and choose your route order or if you wanted to run through the good routes all at once and then read the bad routes. However, that's not how things are going to work. If you want to follow and come back, that's cool, but for now, here's how it's going to go!**

 **Hi. I've never posted for Mystic Messenger before. If this is your first time coming to my dark, cozy section of shame on the internet, welcome, welcome. My name is Lumi. Feel free to spark a conversation about whatever in my reviews or in my inbox. There is no need to be shy. I'm not an asshole. I take care of my small fanbase like my own children because mom friend. And a little bit of that is going to show in here at some point. I know I come off like I'm rambling right now, but I promise it'll make everything better here.**

 **Every Thursday for the next twelve weeks, I'm going to be posting half of a route: One good route, one bad. I'll always be posting the bad route first, so it makes the good route all that much better. Are the stories going to be all connected? Not really. This is more or less a drabble collection that rolled around in my brain. This one happened to be the first to come to mind. For the sake of this series, we're starting WITH! Drumroll please…**

 **One Jumin Han! Why Jumin? Why not Jumin? Keep in mind, this is going to be the BAD ROUTE. In Jumin's bad ending it got rather kinky, did it not? Keeping in that theme, so will this. You've been warned. So, enjoy yourselves, you depraved angels. I don't judge. We'll talk later, k?**

"Assistant Kang," he called out, "What do I have for today?"

"Meetings all morning, sir," Jaehee reported. She deserved a raise and two weeks of paid vacation. I've never seen anyone go above and beyond as much as she did.

"Move them all to the afternoon," he ordered, "And take Elizabeth 3rd to the groomer. She clawed me last night and drew blood."

"Forgive me for asking, Mr. Han," Jaehee gave her preemptive apology, "But what are you going to be doing?"

"Taking care of Elizabeth 4th," he hummed, "You know how precious she is to me. I don't want anyone to lay a finger on her but me."

"Yes, sir," she bowed. Although, I could see it all over her face. Jaehee harbored a deep loathing for Elizabeth 3rd. And I couldn't blame her. With the amount of times that cat has been pawned off on her, I'd hate her, too. However, Jaehee could have it worse. She could be in my position.

It's been six months since my first RFA party. And I managed to capture the heart of one member in particular. A gorgeous creature by the name of Jumin Han. We talked regularly through the messenger and texted every day before we even met. Everything was going great. Until the mystery had been taken out of our relationship.

Once I showed my face to him, Jumin turned very protective of me. For the first time in a long time, I felt loved and safe. And I had Jumin to thank for that. Little did I know, that protective outside hid his more possessive inside. At first, it was kind of hot, but things got a little out of hand when he started calling me Elizabeth 4th.

I already knew about his feelings for cats. Jumin Han was a crazy cat lady from the word go. And he took better care of Elizabeth 3rd than he did himself. That is until I came along. I swear that cat grew jealous of me. Anyone would be. I had Jumin. And Jumin gave me everything. Every week, I'd have at least three different specialists come here just to make sure I was healthy. Jumin took very good care of me.

As wonderful as that sounded, my life of luxury came at a price. It was nothing for me to be curled up next to Jumin with my head in his lap. His hand would be twisted in my hair without a single thought in his head. Under any other circumstances, this would sound rather nice. What I neglected to say was that it was more of a petting motion with the occasional scratch of my head. Sometimes he'd even look at my fingers. Only to make sure my claws were well-manicured.

Most of the time, I don't think Jumin realizes I'm a person. Or that my name isn't Elizabeth 4th. It's MC. And I was the kept pet of eccentric billionaire Jumin Han. Honestly, I don't think eccentric even begins to describe him. So, let's try that again. My name is MC and I was the kept pet of insane and cat obsessed billionaire Jumin Han.

Before we had even met, I did a quick Google search of him. I wanted to make sure he wasn't a serial killer. The internet could only tell me so much. How was it supposed to know he was a dom with a cat fetish? He didn't come off like that in our chats or our texts. When I found out, I thought it'd be fine. Maybe even a little fun. But unfortunately, things didn't exactly pan out like I thought.

This was only the beginning. Jumin bathing me wasn't even all that bad. This wasn't bad at all. He ran the water at just the right temperature, used a really soft wash cloth. But this time was different. All the other times, he'd sit at the edge of the tub, speaking sweet nothings. It was an extreme rarity he ever actually got in the tub with me.

"You're so beautiful, Elizabeth 4th," he ran his fingers through my long, dark hair, scratching a spot on my head right behind my left ear that he knew drove me nuts.

"Jumin," I suppressed a moan, "I have a name."

"And it's Elizabeth 4th," Jumin cradled me delicately against his bare chest, "Do you still have that choker you wore the night we met?"

"Yeah," I knew the exact one he was talking about. A small, simple black band I wore around my neck coupled with a delicate silver chain.

"I like that choker," he twisted his fingers in my hair, "It made me think of what you'd look like in a collar. Maybe one with a name tag on it."

"And what would that name tag say?" I wondered.

"Elizabeth 4th," Jumin told me, "What else would it say?"

"I don't know," I scoffed, "Maybe MC? Considering that is my name?"

"My kitty's got a little mouth on her today," he glared, "We wouldn't want to have to get her a muzzle, would we?"

"No, sir," I bit my tongue.

"Good girl," Jumin scratched the spot again, "Such a good kitty. I love you, Elizabeth 4th. Especially when you're so obedient for me."

Jumin might have been a little nuts, but I had to admit. He took damn good care of me. My favorite part was always right after coming out of the bathtub. I would rather my monogrammed towel said MC on it instead of Elizabeth 4th, but it was always soft and warm. And Jumin practically swaddled me in it. I never felt more loved and wanted than when I was alone with him like this. The only problem was the sacrifice of my dignity.

When Jumin laid me on the bed in nothing but a towel and my collar, he shut himself in his walk-in closet. I think I could be ok if it meant sharing a bathtub with him. He came back out shortly after and pulled me into his lap. I guess Jumin was ok with getting himself dressed, but he couldn't have been bothered grabbing something for me? What the hell, man? I know you keep it awfully warm in the penthouse, but I'm cold!

"I hate to leave you, Elizabeth 4th," Jumin brushed my wet hair out, "But Daddy has an important meeting to go to. Are you going to be alright here all by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, Jumin," I promised, resting my head on his thigh, "What trouble could I get into?"

"I'll make sure everything is safe," he kissed the top of my head, "Besides, we wouldn't want you running off, would we?"

Jumin gave me one last kiss and left me on his bed. Our bed, really. Honestly, I think Elizabeth 3rd held some resentment toward me because of that. Anytime she tried getting in bed with us, Jumin put her back in her bed. The damn cat was jealous of me…What is my life? I'm sure this isn't what my mother wanted for me.

Now that Jumin was gone, I could stop being Elizabeth 4th for a while and go back to being MC. I haven't left the penthouse since the last RFA party we had a couple months ago and I could tell. My stir crazy grew worse and worse by the day. Jumin rarely ever wanted to go out, so I'd have to venture out on my own.

I threw some clothes on and jiggled the front doorknob. What the hell…? Why would it be locked? I took a quick peek at the security panel. Sure enough, the entire penthouse was on lockdown. Jumin wasn't screwing around when he said he wanted me safe. I didn't realize it meant locking the whole place down. All I wanted was a latte. Fortunately, I had an ace up my sleeve. Jumin thinks he's keeping me locked in the ivory tower while he's gone? Not when I know the world's greatest hacker.

"Mmmyello…?" a familiar voice hummed on the other end.

"Hey, Seven," I couldn't hold back a smile if I wanted to, "It's MC."

"MC!" Seven sang, "Hi! How are you? Wait! Don't tell me! You're…purrfect?"

"Shut up," I giggled.

"So hurtful!" he tried to play innocent, "Whatever did I do to deserve such harsh words?"

"You know what you did." The entire RFA knew about Jumin and me being together, but Seven was the only one who knew the nitty-gritty details of our relationship, "Look, I need a favor."

"Sure," Seven agreed right away, "The notorious 707, defender of justice at your service!"

"Do you think you could do a little hacking for me?" I kept my fingers crossed.

"Depends on the job."

"Can you hack Jumin's security system?" I asked.

"Hack it?" Seven laughed hysterically, "Who do you think coded his security system in the first place? There would be no hacking involved. Any particular reason you want me to hack Jumin's security system or is this just to keep my skill sharp?"

"I'm locked in," I dangled my legs over the arm of the couch, "And Jumin's gone for the rest of the afternoon."

"Then, ask him for the…" The end of the phone went silent, "Oh…You're sneaking out while he's gone."

"Yeah," I bit my lip, "Do you have some stock footage of me in case Jumin wants to check in?"

"Do you want playing with Elly or a cat nap?"

"Nap," I picked, "That way, he won't call either."

"Smart little kitty," Seven praised, "Maybe I should come play with you, too."

"You're more than welcome," I smiled, "I'm just going for coffee."

"We should tell Yoosung," he joked, "There goes all the chocolate milk again."

"Seven," I rolled my eyes, "You really do need to stop picking on Yoosung. He didn't do anything to deserve it."

"But that was fun!" Seven whined, "Picking on Yoosung is one of my favorite things to do!"

"Hurry up and hack Jumin's system," I demanded, "I need out, Seven."

"I thought you had a litter box for that."

"Seven…" I could kill him, but I needed him.

"Alright, alright," he let up, "Give me a couple minutes and I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," I sighed out. Don't get me wrong. I love Jumin, but I needed the occasional time out of the house, too.

"I see you, MC," Seven sang, "I see you on the phone with me."

"I need you to stop seeing me and get to taking care of the locks."

"I saw that middle finger, too."

A couple beeps chimed from the control panel on the wall, "Um, Seven, is it supposed to be doing that?"

"You're in the clear, MC," Seven reported, "I'll meet you at the café."

"See you soon," I blew one of Jumin's security cameras a kiss and grabbed my bag. Before I left, I had one last call to make.

"Jaehee Kang," the other end chirped.

"Hi, Jaehee."

"MC," Jaehee greeted me, "Hi. What do you need?"

"How are you?" I asked.

"Me?" she turned flustered, "Well, I've spent the whole day with Elizabeth 3rd. My suit is covered in cat hair. What did you need? I'm sure you didn't call just to hear me complain."

"Do you know when Jumin is supposed to be back?" I asked.

"Around four," she figured, "Why?"

"Because," I didn't know if Jumin had the phone tapped or if the stock footage was in place. Luckily, Jaehee understood code, "I miss him so, so much. Just curious."

"I can hold him longer," Jaehee offered, "Want me to?"

"No," I shot her down, "Thank you, but I'll be fine. How are things going with my fluffy rival?"

"Miserable as always," she vented, "I wouldn't call her your rival."

"Jumin's closer with me than her," I pointed out, casually leaving our penthouse, "If I try to pet her and Jumin's not in the room, she hisses at me."

"So, she's jealous," Jaehee wrote it off, "I'm sure Mr. Han would pick you over Elizabeth."

"I don't even doubt that," I sighed, "I shouldn't be complaining."

"It's fine," she allowed, "Now, I need to be going. I'll call you when Mr. Han leaves."

"Thanks, Jaehee," I smiled, "I really appreciate it."

"Watch yourself, MC," she warned, "You never know when he could slip out."

"I'll be alright," I assured, "I'm protected seven ways."

"I'm not sure if that's exactly safe," Jaehee cringed, understanding my speaking in code. And well-aware of who I was about to be with. Seven wasn't exactly gentle with Elizabeth 3rd. He knew better with me.

"It is," I promised.

"I'll see you later, MC."

"Bye."

And on that note, I set off to the café down the street. A hot chai latte would hit the spot right about now. Something to settle my nerves and soothe my soul. Especially with the possibility of Jumin lurking around every corner. I should be ok, though. At least I hoped so.

"I have a chai latte for Elizabeth," the guy behind the counter called out. I didn't even order yet. Wait…Did he call me Elizabeth?

Cautiously, I approached the counter, "Excuse me. Could you tell me the guy that ordered this?"

"Didn't catch his name," he said, "Some guy sitting upstairs."

"Red hair? Glasses?" I guessed, "Carrying a laptop bag? Probably hasn't seen the sun in three months?"

"Yeah!" the guy squeaked, "Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"He wishes," I took my cup off the counter and headed upstairs, "Real cute, Seven. Elizabeth, huh?"

"MC!" Seven looked up from his computer and threw his arms around me, "I missed you so much! That meanie Jumin keeps you all to himself. It's not fair!"

"Try being me," I sat down, "I don't know what to do, Seven. I like Jumin taking care of me. I love all the attention and the closeness. I just wish he'd see me as a person and not a cat."

"You can't even be Longcat," he pouted, but his sad face didn't last long, "That would be awesome! I could say I know Longcat!"

"This is serious," I whined, "I don't want to be Jumin's cat. I want to be his girlfriend."

"Give him a taste of his own medicine," Seven suggested, "Show Jumin that his kitty has claws, too."

"Can't," I took a sip from my cup, "You know that big cage in our bedroom?"

"Yeah."

"That's what happens when his kitty's claws come out," I told him, "I'm sleeping there for the night."

"That's twisted," Seven cringed, "Even for Jumin."

"What do you mean?" I wondered.

"Here," he did a quick search, "Your man is into some things, MC. I don't know if you knew that or not."

"Duh," I rolled my eyes, "I know. He has a cat fetish and treats me like his pet over his girlfriend. This isn't exactly news to me, Seven. I know he's got some kinks."

"No, no, no," he clarified, "Do you know about Jumin's business trips to Singapore?"

"What's Singapore got to do with anything?" I started to sweat a little.

"Well," Seven began, "Apparently, our friend Jumin has several charges for a massage parlor in Bedok."

"Ok," I gave him a look, "So?"

"A little further digging," he went on, "It's not actually a massage parlor. Jumin Han, you kinky minx."

"What is it?"

"It's a sex dungeon," he revealed, "Let your wildest fantasies run free. Says so right here on their website."

"Oh…" I blushed, "Does it say anything else…?"

"In the time he went there," Seven pressed on, "Jumin visited their top dominatrix at the time last year. And under the name…Jumin, you dick!"

"What?" I listened intently with baited breath. Seven had a really bad habit of keeping me in suspense.

"The name he used," Seven squeaked, "It was Luciel Choi! He can't be Luciel Choi! I'm Luciel Choi! Definitely not in his visits to-"

"Mistress Electra," my stomach dropped.

"Yeah," he looked at me weird, "So, you do know about his Singapore business trips?"

"Seven," I kept my voice down, "If I tell you something, do you swear to keep it between us?"

"Of course," Seven promised, "What's up?"

"Before I met you guys," I spun the tale, "I spent a summer in Singapore. While I was there, I got a little strapped for cash, so I looked for a job. One of the people I was staying with told me he could get me some steady work, but it wouldn't exactly be the most savory work. At the time, money was money, so I didn't care where it was coming from. I wouldn't even have enough to get home. Next thing I know, I'm getting a leather outfit, fishnets, and a mask. Turned out I had a real talent for domination and I had the highest ask rate. I did my job so well, they gave me a name."

"You were working in a sex dungeon?!" Seven gasped, "You?!"

"I'm not exactly proud of it," I winced, "But yeah. For a whole summer."

"Did you know Mistress Electra?" he wondered. I kept my mouth shut, silenced by an overwhelming wave of shame. Of course, Seven saw right through me, his jaw dropping to the floor, "MC...Are you Mistress Electra?"

"I had a reoccurring client named Luciel Choi," I cringed, "And he called me Mistress Electra. I used to beat Jumin for money...And he liked it. He'd thank me for it and ask for more."

"Then, what are you doing, being submissive to him now?" Seven defended, "Mistress Electra was known as one of the most hardcore dominatrices in Singapore."

"Jumin doesn't know I'm Mistress Electra," I pointed out, "He'd freak. I put her behind me. Or I thought I did."

"And there's your ace in the hole!" he chirped.

"What do you mean?"

"Bring Mistress Electra back," he demanded, "There's no way Jumin would be able to put her in the crate. His brain is trained to submit to Mistress Electra. Give Jumin a taste of his own medicine."

"You know what?" I felt a surge of confidence surge through my body. The same rush that Mistress Electra gave me, "I think you're onto something, Seven."

"There you go, MC!" Seven praised, "Go get him."

"If you're looking for some high quality amateur porn," I suggested, "Keep the bedroom cameras on tonight."

"I don't think I could stomach it," he shot me down, "As much as I'd love to see you beat the snot out of Jumin after he used my name for a sex dungeon alias."

"Suit yourself," I got up, "As delightful as this was, Seven, I have some preparations to make for the fireworks tonight."

"If you need paramedics," Seven threw his laptop in his bag, "Make sure you say he fell."

"I won't be that rough," I promised, "I'll see you later."

"Later!"

"Wait, Seven!" I stopped him.

"What's up?"

"Thank you," I smiled, "For coming to hang out with me. And letting me vent. And not judging."

"No problem," he melted, "Anytime."

With a new sense of power coursing through my veins, I left Seven at the cafe and began the preparations for when Jumin comes home. He has no idea about my sketchy past. He has no clue what I'm capable of. In a way, I suppose he does, but he hasn't put two and two together or I wouldn't ever end up crated. And my first stop? Obviously, the pet store.

Jumin had all sorts of things for me. Costumes, collars, cushions. I needed to get him some things, too. What do I get for Jumin, though? And do I rename him like he did with me? If so, what do I call him? A lot more thought went into this than I remember. Tonight's going to drain the hell out of me, but hopefully, my point will get across.

I think I'll stick with calling him Jumin since that is his name. Or if I was feeling particularly cheeky, I could put Luciel on his collar. But I knew Luciel and I wasn't doing this with Seven. While I waited for his name tag to be engraved, I looked through the store's collar selection. So many colors and textures and patterns. What to get for Jumin...I liked the glittery purple one and the bell was a nice touch. I think the purple collar with the silver tag would suit him.

Do I or don't I want to go ahead with costumes...? No. Sure, I wanted to give Jumin his just desserts, but I didn't want to completely demean him. He's probably going to be pissed off at me as it is. But this wasn't the time to think of that. We're nixing the costumes. Although, it would be nice to get a little revenge for the time he made me wear ears and a tail...No...That's too far. Even for me.

I got everything bagged up and headed back to the penthouse. All it took was a quick text to Seven and I had the cameras back to normal. Jumin won't suspect a thing. I got up from my usual napping spot and got the bag out of the blind spot. God, I can't wait for Jumin to come home.

For my final touch, I went into the closet and took out a box with one of my old corsets in it. False bottoms make it easier for inquisitive minds to stay out of his girlfriend's past. I slipped that on and put my clothes back on over it. And now, we wait. I left Jumin's present on the bed and curled back up on the couch. Tonight was going to be interesting to say the least.

The only thing that had me worried was Jaehee. She was going to have to bring Elizabeth 3rd back sometime tonight. Unless Jumin was going to go get her. But I liked Jaehee. I didn't need her walking in on this. Not only would she be scarred, but I'm sure she wouldn't be able to work for Jumin anymore. They wouldn't be able to make eye contact.

As I "slept" on the couch, I heard the door creak open. A few hours late, Jumin? It's not like you to not be punctual down to the second. You've crated me for that. All was forgiven and forgotten when Jumin scratched the top of my head, following it with a soft, gentle kiss. I almost felt guilty for what I had planned for him tonight. Then, I think back on some of the things he's had me do and that guilt just melts away.

"What the hell...?" I heard him grumble in the other room. I'll take that as my cue.

"Jumin?" I walked into the bedroom, rubbing my eyes. I did just wake up from a nap after all, "When did you come home? Is everything ok?"

"Elizabeth..." Jumin turned nervous, "Was there anyone here while I was gone today?"

"No," I shook my head, "Just me. Why?"

"Curious," he dropped the collar on the bed.

"Speaking of curious," I asked, "When were you planning on another business trip to Singapore?"

"Singapore?" Jumin gave me a look, "I have no reason to go there anymore. All of my business there is done."

"Is it because of her?"

"Her?" he started to sweat, "Are you suggesting that I'm being unfaithful?"

"It's hard to be unfaithful," I peeled a layer off, "When your pet and your mistress are one in the same. Wouldn't you say so, Mr. Han? Or should I call you Mr. Choi instead?"

I had Jumin floored. His eyes were about to pop out of his head as I tied my mask around my head, "You're...You're...But that's impossible. You're the most submissive pet I've ever had. How are you...?"

"Oh, trust me," I assured him, "Even the most brutal dominatrix can be tamed. All it takes is the right man, the right moves, and the right system."

"But," Jumin fell to our bed, "That would mean we were good, right?"

"Jumin, Jumin, Jumin," I sighed out, grabbing a hold of his flustered face, "When one of those go wrong, then she needs to come back out, so you know what a real dom looks like. Now, what's my name?"

"MC..." he shivered in my grip.

"No, no," I squeezed a little tighter, "What's my name, Luciel?"

"Please don't call me that," Jumin begged, "That's not me. That's Seven."

"What's my name, Luciel?" I felt the adrenaline pump through my veins. This was fun...

"Mistress Electra," he let out a heavy sigh, praising me like his god. I forgot how much I liked this. I've spent all this time running away from the Mistress Electra persona. Maybe we should've ran to each other.

"Good boy," I praised him, putting his collar around his neck, "I got you a present today, Jumin."

"When were you out?" Jumin wondered, "I had the house completely locked and when I looked at the cameras between meetings, you were asleep."

"I've been out all day," I confessed, whipping my leather glove across his face, "And you know what to say to that. I take time out of my day for you and you jump down my throat like that? I'm disappointed in you."

"I'm sorry," he dropped his gaze, "Thank you, Mistress."

"That's better," I kissed the red mark on his cheek, putting my bare hand on it. Fortunately, my hands were always cold no matter what. I'm sure that felt good, "You're welcome. I don't have my riding crop anymore, so the gloves are going to have to do. Unless I use one of your belts."

"No," Jumin shook his head, "I'd rather not have that burned into my brain when I get dressed in the morning. I'll never want to leave for work."

"My gloves, it is then," I decided, "Stay."

"Mistress..."

"Yes, my pet?" I chimed, looking through our closet for makeshift restraints.

"How did you leave today?" Jumin asked, "I have the best security system that can quite literally lock anyone in. You shouldn't have been able to leave."

"When you know the guy that coded your system in the first place, it's not that difficult," I took out a pair of red silk ribbons that Jumin has tied me up with many a time. These will work, "If I bat my eyelashes at Seven, he'll do anything this side of killing a man for me. He put up some stock footage, so you'd think I was still home. It's amazing what happens when you have a little hacker in your back pocket."

"And one more question," he requested, "If I may..."

"Speak."

"What made you go from my sweet, little Elizabeth 4th to Mistress Electra?" Jumin asked, "Why are you doing this?"

"You really want to know...?" I kept quiet.

"Yes."

"Because," I sat at the edge of our bed, "I'm not your cat."

"What do you mean?" My God, Jumin...Sometimes it's a good thing you're painfully sexy or you wouldn't be bringing much to this relationship. It's like I told him he was a bowl of cashews.

"I'm a person, Jumin," I elaborated, "I love that you care so much about me and I love being yours. But I'm tired of being treated like Elizabeth 3rd. I'm not a cat. Somewhere along the way, I think that may have slipped your mind. So, drastic measures had to be taken. If MC couldn't get through to you, maybe Mistress Electra could."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jumin attempted to put his arm around me. Although, with me still being a little pissed at him, I swatted it away.

"Did I say you could touch me?" I growled, going back into full dominatrix mode, "I did not hear you ask me. I guess we'll have to take your hands away, so they don't make that mistake again. On your knees, hands on the headboard."

"Yes, Mistress," he did as he was told.

But before we could continue, some things had to be lost, "Take your shirt off. Come on, Jumin. It's only been a year. You know how this works."

"What are we using, Mistress?" Jumin got all excited, peeling his shirt off.

"Hands back on the headboard," I demanded, securing them with the silk ribbons, "Well, since you don't like candles in the penthouse, we can't use the candlewax like we used to. I could get a crayon and a lighter if you want me to."

"No, thank you," Jumin may have enjoyed pain, but he was kind of a baby about it. He'd tough it out, but it'd take him a minute to acclimate.

"Are you sure?" I whispered in his ear, "I could go get some."

"Please, no," Jumin pleaded, "Not the wax, Mistress."

"Alright," I'd let him have this one. Instead, I raked my nails across his bare skin, "We can find other ways of driving you crazy. But don't think I forgot about what wax does to you."

"I'd rather forget what wax did to me," he cringed.

When Jumin came to visit me in Singapore once, he was feeling particularly brave. He forgot whose thumb he was under and mouthed off to me. One of the girls kept a warmer at her vanity and told me I was welcome to it any time. If I didn't keep the upper hand, Jumin wouldn't come to me anymore. I plugged the wax warmer in, had Jumin on his stomach tied to the rack, and waxed the entire backside of his body. God, he squealed like a pig.

But I had to admit. The squealing and the fact that he had to use the safe word a couple times wasn't even the best part. It was the after care. I might have had a reputation for being one of the most brutal dominatrices Singapore had to offer, but my aftercare was kind of legendary, too. I worked in extremes. And the aftercare with Jumin after that was my favorite. The cool feeling of my lavender lotion I massaged onto his back. The solid muscle in his legs. The look on his face when he finally settled down. Almost angelic. I missed that.

"Jumin," I dug my nails into his skin, "Do you know why I'm doing this?"

"To make a point?"

"Good boy," I praised, easing up on the pressure, kissing the welts on his back, "And when we're done here, what are you going to do?"

"Wipe the blood off my back?" he figured.

"No, no," I dug deeper, "What are you going to do, pet?"

"Ah...!" Jumin squeaked.

"If you need to use the safe word," I reminded him, "Feel free. Now, what are you going to do when we're all said and done here?"

I was damn near drawing blood from Jumin's back, making him let out a little yelp, "Ow! I'm tired of this orgasm!"

Wow. Jumin really wasn't used to this anymore. Immediately, I took my hands off him. He said the safe word. I had to. Instead of putting him in pain, I went back to kissing the welts and got a cool, damp towel to put on his back to help with any of the swelling. At least he could blame it on Elizabeth 3rd if anyone asked about them. Little do they know, they're from his other kitty.

"Are you doing ok now, Jumin?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jumin nodded, "I'm ok."

"What was that?" I scolded him.

"Yes, Mistress," he corrected himself.

"Good," I gave him one last kiss on his shoulder blade, "Now, Jumin, I'm going to ask you again. When we're done tonight, what are you going to do?"

"Treat you like a person," he moaned out, "And not like a cat."

"That's right," I softly bit at a spot on Jumin's neck that made him purr a little, "Do you know what I want? More than anything?"

"What, Mistress?"

I cradled his face in my hands, "I want to be your girlfriend."

"Excuse me?" I think I broke him.

"I want us to go back to how we used to be," I pulled one of the ribbons around his wrist, "When I first started planning RFA parties and we talked for hours on end about absolutely nothing. Like equals. I miss that."

"The night we debated pineapple on pizza," Jumin remembered, his free arm wanting to go around me, but he hesitated, "Mistress, can I hold you?"

"You may," I pulled his other ribbon, curling into his ribs, "I remember the pineapple on pizza argument."

"I've had many culinary delicacies from around the world," Jumin had me pinned against his chest. Not that I'm complaining, "But pineapple on pizza is an abomination."

"So closeminded," I rolled my eyes, "There's nothing wrong with pineapple on pizza. It's delightful and a beautiful balance of sweet and salty."

"It's vile and you know it," Jumin stood his ground.

"No, it's not," I switched back, "Say it, Jumin."

"It's not," he picked up on my sudden change in attitude.

"Good," I ran my finger down his clenched jawline, "See how easy things can be when you cooperate? What shall I do with you now that I have you all riled up? Any ideas?"

"A few," Jumin decided to play back.

"No, no, no," I twisted his nipple, "You can give me all the ideas you want. Whether or not I do them is entirely up to me. Does it make you feel vulnerable, Jumin? Knowing that your pet has all the power?"

"Yes, Mistress…" he winced, toughing it out this time.

"Good," I smirked, getting on top of him, "Because tonight, you have an entire shitstorm coming to you, Jumin Han. In hindsight, I probably should've stocked up on oils while I was out, but hindsight's 20-20, I guess. Hands back on the headboard."

 **A/N: Because you have young eyes, you don't need to see what's about to go down. If you didn't catch it, what makes this the bad end is Jumin pushed MC so far that she snapped. Is she going to kill him? Is she not? Who knows? I'll leave that up to your imagination. We'll leave the review sections for an open forum discussion. Next week will be the good route. And in that same update, we'll talk about who's route we're going to be doing next or our reset, so to speak. Feel free to voice your opinion on who we should do next, too! See you next chapter! xx**


	2. Jumin Han: Good Route

**A/N: Holy shit, guys. I was not expecting for this to be so well received. So, for serious. Thank you. I don't know if my traffic is coming solely from the site or if you're being awesome and sharing it, but this is fantastic. As a gentle reward, how about Jumin's good route? Sound like a plan? And we can talk later? Alrighty then.**

Rumble, rumble.

I hated this. I didn't like this one bit, sir. Living on the top floor wasn't exactly helping matters either. I had been living with Jumin for six months, but in separate bedrooms. Something about us living in sin and Jumin not wanting us to share a room. Personally, I thought the whole idea was rather archaic, but I wasn't going to fight him.

Boom!

For once, I wished he didn't have those archaic beliefs. I'm almost positive I wasn't going to sleep tonight. Storms and I never got along. Ever since I was little, they horrified me. Between the thunder that's enough to shake the foundation and the bright flashes of lightning that wouldn't hesitate to burn anything in its path, I hated them.

Rain was fine. Rain I could handle. A nice gentle rain was quite soothing. When it evolved into this, though? That's when I don't like rain anymore. I buried myself in a pile of blankets, hoping they could offer just a little bit of comfort in these very trying times. It usually worked when I was younger. Maybe it'll still work.

CRASH!

To no avail. Go away. Go away. Please just stop. All I wanted was for this damn rain to stop. From the safety of my blanket next, I took my phone off the nightstand, curious if anyone happened to be logged into the chatroom at this hour. Either Seven or Yoosung. Seven always says that sleep was for the weak and there's a good chance that Yoosung is still up playing LOLOL. Oddly enough, the chat looked like a ghost town. I thought someone would've been here. Oh well.

Maybe if I go out into the living room, I'll sleep better. Getting bashed in the head with a frying pan would probably do the trick, too. And it's not like there's going to be anything good on TV at 2AM. Wonderful. It's so nice when the weather wants to screw up my sleeping patterns. I had a feeling that everyone was going to piss me off in one way or another. I always got cranky after rough nights. This would be no exception, I'm sure. I already felt bad for the poor, unfortunate soul to cross my path in the morning.

"MC?" Jumin clicked on the kitchen light, "What are you doing out here?"

"Trying to sleep," I growled, shaking under my blankets, "But my boyfriend figured waking me up was a good idea."

"I'm sorry," he got his water, "Go back to bed."

"I'll be fine out here," I knew it was no use trying to get any help. This would be one of those things I'd have to get through on my own.

"Suit yourself," Jumin left me alone to deal with my problems. All I had to do was get myself to settle down enough to fall asleep. That's all I'm asking. The chances of that happening were slim, but a girl can hope, right? Come on, MC. You're a grown woman. You can get yourself to relax a bit.

I did another check of my phone. No texts. No emails. Granted, I had quite some time before the next RFA party, but I thought I'd still be getting some interested parties. This was a nice distraction from the terror raging on outside. I wonder if anyone else can't sleep right now. I'll make just one last check of the chat...

Still no one. What the hell? Did Yoosung finally get a bedtime and Seven learn he needs to sleep once in a while? Weird. One would think a video game addict would still be up playing LOLOL or a helpless little memelord would be looking for a thirteen-year-old to troll. Even though it kept my mind off things for a little while, my phone couldn't control the weather. The thunder still roared outside, putting me in my own private Hell.

I grabbed another blanket and wrapped myself in it. It was starting to get too hot, but the pressure around me was kind of relaxing. But it still wasn't enough. I wanted the rain to stop and for my shaking to stop. Maybe I should just get some water and shut my eyes for a little while. Try to force myself to sleep.

Although, my shaking was making it difficult for me to hold my glass steady. And in my nervous clumsiness, I ended up dropping it. Glass shattered all over the floor, and the edge managed to catch my thumb, "Damn it all!"

"MC!" Jumin came running, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I grumbled, pulling shards of glass out of my skin, "I'm alright."

"You're bleeding," he gasped, taking my other hand, "Come on."

Jumin brought me through his bedroom and into his bathroom. He dug frantically under his sink for the first aid kit we kept well-stocked to a fault, "Really, Jumin. I'm fine. It's just a little cut."

"I don't want you bleeding all over the place," he hushed me, "Some of the linens are irreplaceable."

"Fine," I watched as Jumin's hands worked quickly on my minor injury. He finished pulling the finer slivers of glass out and put a bandage over it.

"Are you alright?" Jumin started cleaning up.

"I was ok before you took care of me," I smiled a little, "But thank you."

"You're welcome," he kissed my forehead, "Now, if you're going to stay in one piece for the rest of the night, I'd like to go back to sleep. I suggest you do the same."

"Ok," I nodded, "Good night."

"Good night," Jumin and I parted ways at his door and I went back to my room.

The rain still had yet to let up any. If it were at all possible, the storm got even worse. This sucked! Maybe if I put my headphones in, that'll be enough to drown out the thunder. I scrolled through my music until I found a soft piano piece Jumin's played for me a time or two before. It had become a go-to every time I had a bad day. Unfortunately, my headphones couldn't go any louder. A bright flash of lightning lit up my room.

Nope. I wrapped another blanket around me, rocking myself back and forth. Relax, MC. You can do this. It's just one night. I'll have to OD on caffeine in the morning, but I'll find some time to sneak in a nap or two throughout the day. I shut my eyes for a couple minutes. Only to be woken by another loud clap of thunder. Did I have any Tylenol PM left?

Beep.

My notification alert interrupted my music. At three in the morning? Who the hell would be texting me at three in the morning? I guess someone didn't learn about what a bedtime was yet. My money was on either Seven or Yoosung. I went into my messages to find a name I wasn't really expecting.

 _Still awake?_

 _-JH_

We live in the same penthouse, Jumin. Why the hell would he be texting me? I knew if I answered, he'd just yell at me. Either out of necessity of keeping my hands busy or sheer stupidity, I figured I might as well text him back. Unless I was actually sleeping, Jumin gets a little testy when I don't text him back right away.

 _Yes._

 _-MC_

Beep.

 _Why?_

 _-JH_

Just as I suspected. Jumin's mad at me. He knew how I was when I was sleep deprived and he'd be the one getting the brunt of it. In all honesty, I couldn't blame him for being a bit bothered by me not sleeping. I turned into a bitch and he didn't deserve to go through that. At the same time, he should know better.

 _Look outside._

 _-MC_

Beep.

 _What about it?_

 _-JH_

 _You've known me for how long?_

 _-MC_

Beep.

 _MC...Are you afraid of thunder?_

 _-JH_

It's funny. Jumin's intelligence is one of his more prominent and admirable traits. But as far as being observant? He can say all he wants to. When something is right in front of him, he could be rather thick. One would never suspect Jumin of being borderline genius some days.

 _I could be._

 _-MC_

Beep.

This should be good. At this point, I don't think there's much Jumin can do. He can't control the weather. He can't pay someone off. I'm just going to have to ride this storm out by myself. Again. You're a big girl, MC. You can do this.

 _Will you come here?_

 _-JH_

What the hell...? What was this all about. Relax, MC. You're overthinking. Just go to Jumin's room. He gets cranky when he has to wait. Besides, he's probably going to give me an ass chewing about not being asleep by now. Although, I could turn those tables, too. I could give him the same level of scolding he was about to give me. But I knew that wasn't happening.

"What did you want, Jumin?" I asked, standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"Come here," he insisted.

"Ok," I walked over to my boyfriend's bed where Elizabeth 3rd slept soundly on the corner, "Now, what did you..."

A loud clap of thunder shook through the penthouse. Nope. I don't like this. Almost instantly, I got on the floor and slid under the bed. It might take the fire department to get me out, but at this point, I didn't care. Down here, I was safe. Down here, the thunder wasn't going to get to me. Everything was going to be fine.

"MC?" Jumin stuck his head under the bed, "What are you doing under there? There's no reasoning for it."

"I'm ok," I shook, "I can get through this."

"Please," he begged, "Come out of there."

"No, thank you."

"MC," Jumin let out an exasperated sigh, "I'm very tired. I promise that nothing is going to hurt you up here unless Elizabeth 3rd wakes up from her beauty sleep and decides to claw you."

"Ok," I didn't like it, but I wiggled out from under the bed, "There. Happy?"

"Very," he pulled on my arm, "Now, come here like I asked you to in the first place."

"What did you want me for?" I repeated my question.

"For this," Jumin cradled me against his chest, "Why didn't you tell me you were scared before?"

"Because," I sighed out, "It's something that's so stupid to be afraid of. I know that thunder and lightning can't get to me while I'm inside and I'll be perfectly fine. But..."

"It's not stupid," he held me tighter, keeping me safe, "Irrational, yes. But not stupid. It's alright to be scared, MC. You don't need to hide your fears from me."

"Thank you, Jumin," I cuddled into him, "And I'm sorry for keeping you up like this. I'm sure you have things to do in the morning."

"I do," he nodded, "And I'd like to go to sleep now."

"Ok," I gave my boyfriend a quick kiss and got up from his bed, "Good night."

"Wait," Jumin took my hand, "Where are you going?"

"Back to my room," I told him, "That way, you can get some sleep."

"MC..." Was...Was Jumin blushing? Sure enough, in what little light we had, his face had turned a light shade of pink, "If it's alright with you...Would you like to sleep in here? Just for tonight?"

A part of me wanted to toy with him, but the rest of me was too tired and too freaked out by the storm. And for the first time in our relationship, I'd get to sleep with Jumin. I couldn't pass that up, "Sure. Is it ok with you?"

"No," he twitched, "But it's better than you going back to your room and being scared by yourself."

I knew Jumin was afraid of something. From the current situation, one would suggest he's afraid of intimacy, but I knew why. Jumin's real fear wasn't intimacy. It was turning out like his father. I only met him once. And his flavor of the week. Jumin didn't want that...He didn't want to be that...

"Thank you," I crawled back into his bed. Now, I knew I'd have to approach this very delicately. For Jumin, this was practically like sex on the first date. It was bad enough we were living in sin. Now we were sharing a bed? Absolute madness. Cuddling was probably out of the question, but even having Jumin in proximity was nice. I had already begun to forget about the storm. Maybe I could finally sleep.

That is, until a big boom of thunder echoed through the room. I tried not to freak in front of Jumin. He was big enough to put his own fears aside. If Jumin could do it, so could I. Then again, I remember one time during one of Seven's classic pranks. He had Yoosung convinced Jumin was a robot. It had Yoosung terrified, but I had to give it to Seven. Although wrong what he did, he made a compelling argument.

"Are you alright?" Jumin worried from his side of the bed.

"Yeah," I winced, "I'll be fine."

"Still having a hard time sleeping?" he figured.

"That obvious?"

"Would you..." Jumin offered, "Maybe want to come lay on my shoulder?"

He really was pushing himself for me, "I'm already in your bed, Jumin. I don't want to be too greedy."

In a shocking turn of events, I lost my say in the batter altogether, "I want you to be greedy with me, MC. If there's anything you ever need or want, I don't want you to ever hesitate. Be as greedy as you want with me. I have no problem holding my greedy baby when a nasty storm has her scared. I promise you, MC. I'll keep you safe tonight."

Like a baby, huh? I wasn't going to abuse my new-found power. Like it or not, I knew Jumin's fear of becoming his father still lingered in the back of his mind. I guess I'd have to be the one to break him of that. Jumin's heart raced under my fingertips. I could hear it while I laid my head on his chest. It almost drowned out the thunder. Fast, but still rhythmic. Sweet, sweet music.

"I love you, Jumin," I buried my face in him.

"I love you, too," he kissed the top of my head, "Go to sleep, MC."

It wasn't going to take much now. I had Jumin's warmth, Jumin's bed, Jumin's heart. Despite Seven making a hell of an argument for the case of Jumin the robot, I think I'd be able to poke a really big hole in his theories now. This was nice. I'm proud of him for pushing through his apprehension for the sake of calming me down. And I loved him for it.

When I woke up the next morning, Jumin hadn't budged. I was still firmly affixed against my boyfriend's chest. Going by the amount of sweat on both of us, we haven't moved all night. On the plus side, thought, it stopped raining. I buried my face in Jumin's ribs and went back to sleep, feeling Elizabeth 3rd on the other side of him.

"MC..." Jumin whispered in my ear, "MC...Wake up, sweetheart."

"No..." I groaned, "I don't want..."

Then, a pleasant smell caught my nose. Something sweet...Something wonderful. Jumin ran his hand through my hair, "What's the matter, MC? You seem a bit off."

"Nothing," I brushed him off, "It's just..."

"Shh..." he laid me back down on the bed, "Hold that thought. Stay here. I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" I asked, nestling back down into the blankets.

"The kitchen," Jumin gave me a little kiss.

"Jumin..." I worried, "What did you do?"

"You'll see," he was already in the hall.

Seriously, it smelled like Christmas morning! Coffee brewed with cinnamon, breakfast made with love...Exactly like Christmas morning! Oh, Jumin...You didn't do something silly like over do yourself for me, did you...? It wouldn't surprise me, but all the same, it'd make me skeptical of his motives. Sure enough, Jumin came back to the bedroom with a tray on his arm.

"Jumin," I awed, "What did you do?"

"I took a cooking class once," he joined me on his bed with a stack of blueberry pancakes, "And this is the only thing I managed to make without burning it or myself. Or the building. After what happened last night, I wanted to do something to make you feel better."

I pulled my boyfriend to my face, giving him a soft, sweet kiss, "I love you, Jumin Han."

"I love you, too, MC," he gave me my fork, "I promise they're decent."

"Hold on," I thought for a minute, "Don't you have to go to work?"

"Sweetheart, it's my company," Jumin pushed my hair out of my face, "I'm sure it's not going under if I'm not there for a day."

"You sent Jaehee, didn't you?"

"Yes." No shame. And I loved him for it. Jumin cut a piece of pancake for me, "Here. Eat."

"Fine," I took the bit fed to me and held back a little moan, "Hot damn, Jumin..."

"Not bad, huh?" Jumin took his win.

"These are fantastic," I stuffed my face, "And this is from only one class?"

"Still did better than Yoosung."

"Did you two go together?" I giggled.

"We met up accidentally," he told me, sitting me in his lap, "He has his picture up at the reception desk now. He was deemed unteachable and is no longer allowed in that class ever again."

"Poor Yoosung," I empathized. But my pity didn't last long, "Really, Jumin...These are really good."

"I don't disappoint," he started kissing all over my neck, "You know that."

"Jumin Han," I gasped, "First, I get to sleep with you in your bed."

"That was a special occasion," Jumin pointed out, "Not saying I wouldn't do that again."

"But then," I went on, "I get pancakes."

"The way to your heart has always been through your stomach."

"And now," I squirmed under his touch, "You're teasing me...How big did you screw up?"

"I didn't do anything wrong," Jumin dug his fingers into my thigh muscles, "You were a mess last night and I hate to see you like that. Let me make it better."

"Mmm..." I moaned out, "Pancakes...Morning sex...Is it my birthday?"

"Is it?" he kept kissing all the little spots he knew drove me nuts.

"I don't think so," I writhed a bit.

"No," Jumin cradled me against his chest, "I know when your birthday is, sweetheart."

"Alright," I let him have that one, "So, since Jaehee has your desk for now, how did you see the rest of this morning playing out?"

"I think you know," he kissed me once more.

Needless to say, I think I'm over my fear of storms. If they mean getting to curl up with my boyfriend for the night, I can handle a bit of nasty thunder. If a storm like that means sex and pancakes the next morning, let it pour. Let all the worst storms hit at once. I could do this.

 **A/N: The thought of snuggling with Jumin through a thunderstorm sounds amazing, does it not? Well, there's a thing on Ambient Mixer that's basically the soundscape for that and it's one of my favorites. If it's late at night and I'm working or screwing around on the internet and I have that playing through headphones, I will fall asleep at my desk. Although, I mute the phone ringing. It's a sound I don't like.**

 **Now! The moment you've all been waiting for. Who am I going to do next? Which little Mystic Messenger angel is next on my list? Let's do a quick emphasis on that little part. And that angel part. Honestly, that could go one of two ways. I could either be taking the Seven route or the Yoosung route. Because of a lovely viewer's request and our mutual love for this precious little bean, we're going with YOOSUNG! YAAAAAAAAY! In fact, I think I'm going to get started on Yoosung sometime today because it's going to be a long one and I may need multiple days to write it. So, until next week, my lovelies. See you next chapter. xx**


	3. Yoosung Kim: Bad Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! Long time, no see. It's been a whole week since we wrapped up Jumin's route. For now, anyway. I might do a few extras in December after NaNo season, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. But for now! We have a lid on Jumin's route and this week and next week, as per a lovely user named mimichanMC's (who I may or may not have given a slight nosebleed to in our messages) request and if you didn't catch it last week, we're going YOOSUNG! Now, keep in mind, we're doing the same thing we did with Jumin. This week is the bad ending and next week will be the good ending. So, hold onto your hats, kids. And enjoy…**

 **Also, there's a little bit of implied dubcon here. Just as a quick warning.**

When we first met...When I first fell into Yoosung's arms...I had been taken by an angel that day. Going off the way he was in the chat, how could anyone not fall hopelessly in love with Yoosung? On that day, it was almost as if he was ready and willing to take a bullet for me. And that could possibly be the downfall of our relationship...

One afternoon, I laid on the futon in my new apartment, staring at the ceiling, bored out of my skull. I had answered all of my emails for the upcoming RFA parties, the chatroom was dead, and Yoosung was in class. And it's not like I could leave here. Come on, Rika. There's no way you kept yourself locked in here with nothing to do but party planning and twiddling your thumbs.

If I were still at my place, I'd at least have my gaming systems to play with. And that's when it hit me. I wonder what the other spastic nerd in my life was up to today. I know he can be a busy man, but I'm almost positive that he'd make an exception for me. I grabbed my phone off the coffee table and scrolled through my contact list.

"Go for Seven," he answered.

"If it isn't the honorable 707," I stroked his ego a little. Greasing the wheels a bit couldn't hurt.

"My fairest princess in the seven kingdoms!" he gushed, "Dear Lady MC. To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice this fine afternoon?"

"It appears I've succumbed to boredom," I told him my woes, "You wouldn't happen to have a clear schedule today, would you?"

"Yep!" Seven chirped, "By some form of divine intervention, I actually have a day off. But you know you have to stay at Rika's right?"

"Yeah, yeah," I pouted, rolling my eyes, "I know. That's why I need you to run a little errand for me before you come here."

"Who said I was coming over?" Seven squeaked.

"I did!" Seven had no problem with doing little things for me when it required leaving the apartment. Or he'd put Vanderwood on it, "Please?"

"I guess I can come over," he teased, fully intending to in the first place, "What do you need, MC? Coffee? Donuts? My stash of Honey Buddha Chips?"

"Do you know where my old apartment is?" I asked.

"Really?" Seven laughed hysterically, "Did you really just ask me, of all people, that?"

"I know," I corrected myself, "Stupid question. Focus, Seven. We're on a mission here."

"Ok," he came down, "I think I'm done. What am I doing at your old apartment?"

"I want you to grab my PlayStation," I ordered, "The original recipe. Not the PS2, not the PS3, not the PS4. All my games are lined up next to it and organized alphabetically. Grab an assortment and bring them here. And please don't ruin my system..."

"Yes, ma'am!" Seven agreed, "I'm on it! I should be there in twenty minutes or so."

"And Seven...?"

"What?"

"Bring a few bags of Honey Buddha Chips," I requested, "And a latte, if there's time."

"No problem, MC," I could hear a smile in his voice, "Make that twenty-five minutes. Give or take five minutes for traffic and my lead foot. Is there anything else I can get you while I'm out? Would you like me to do your grocery shopping, too?"

"Alright, smartass," I giggled, "I'll see you soon."

"Deuces!"

Click.

The others may not see it like this, but I could always depend on Seven for just about anything. Usually, Yoosung did a lot for me, but when I didn't have him, Seven was always waiting in the wings. He's been my best friend since I joined the RFA. Once he knew I wasn't a robot. Or dangerous. We've always had such a strong connection. I guess that's what made us such good friends.

Beep!

Neat! A text!

 _Hi, sweetie._

 _I miss you so much!_

 _Class is boring without you. :(_

 _-YK_

 _Aww...Poor baby. :(_

 _But you have to study hard if you want to get anywhere. Study for me, ok?_

 _-MC_

Beep!

That was fast.

 _No! I didn't mean to make you sad. I promise I'll study, so I can be the man you see in me._

 _-YK_

Yoosung's texts were always so sweet, but I hated when they got self-depreciating. He was already so wonderful and I loved him just the way he was. Although...A part of me does wish he'd be a little more independent. Because I didn't want to be a distraction, I left Yoosung to his studies and did a quick check of the chatroom. Empty. I don't know why I expected anything different. I'm sure everyone else was probably busy.

Knock, knock.

Very few people had any knowledge of what this apartment had. Even fewer knew its location. I put my ear up to the door and another wave of knock bounced around the room. There's no way this was seven already. We practically just got off the phone. He was the only one that ever comes here regularly.

After our first RFA party together, Yoosung sucked up his hatred for the man and asked V if he could come and see me more. Due to security issues, V told him no. Yoosung and I never really went out on dates unless it was after an RFA party. And we'd always make the most of them. But after he asked, I remember Yoosung being pretty pissed about it.

But back to the task at hand, who the hell was at my door then? Whoever it was knocked at my door again. Without thinking about it, I blurted out, "Who is it?"

"Your friendly neighborhood delivery man!" a familiar voice chimed, "I come baring gifts of mead and entertainment and sustenance! Or your PlayStation, your latte, and some Honey Buddha Chips. MC, it's Seven. Let me in."

"Hold on," I toyed with him, "How do I know you're the real Seven...?"

"Come on, MC," he whined, "It's me! And this backpack is heavy!"

"A test then," I suggested, "I've put you in a room with Zen and Jumin along with a handgun with one bullet in it. In order to leave, you have to shoot someone. Who do you shoot?"

"Myself. That way, none of my friends have to die. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make."

"Hi, Seven," I opened the door, "I also would've accepted Jumin, so you could break into his place and take immediate custody of Elizabeth 3rd."

"Dammit!" he squealed, "I didn't even give Elly a thought! Can I take that bullet back?"

"Too late," I giggled, "You're already dead. Jumin's back with Elizabeth. They were engaged the following fall and are hoping for a spring wedding."

"I'm shocked that I didn't get an invitation."

"You're hypothetically dead, Seven."

"That doesn't mean I shouldn't be invited."

My best friend was an idiot, but I loved him all the same, "Thanks for coming over and keeping me sane."

"My pleasure," Seven threw his free arm around me, dropping a backpack on the futon, "You know, MC, I never took you for a gamer type."

"How many systems did you count at my place?" I wondered.

"Eight," he handed me a cup, "And here's your latte."

"You are a saint, great and powerful 707," I praised, "And anyone who says otherwise is wrong."

"Thank you, MC," Seven blushed a little, "But seriously, I didn't think you played, let alone had eight consoles."

"Oh yeah," I cracked the backpack open, "Long before I met you guys."

"No wonder you ended up with someone like Yoosung," he took the bag from me, "Go ahead. Drink your latte. I wasn't sure what kind of nostalgic you were feeling, so I brought a hell of an assortment. Both single and multiplayer. Everything from the blocky boobies of Tomb Raider to the poorly rendered environments of Twisted Metal. And if you're feeling like a bit of good, old-fashioned comic mischief, I also grabbed Crash Bandicoot. So, what do we start with?"

"Surprise me," I kicked my feet up while Seven hooked my PlayStation up, "But really, Seven. I could use a friend."

"This sounds like it's going to get serious," Seven pulled up a chair, "Do I need to put on a sweater vest and smoke a pipe?"

"No," I gave him a cheap laugh, "It's actually about Yoosung."

"Oh!" he squeaked, "We're talking boys! So, one of your lacy nighties Jumin sent over then?"

"Seven!" I snapped, "I swear to God, if I catch you in my nighties again, we're going to have words. We had this talk on Thursday."

"I'm sorry!" he whined, "I like the feeling of Chinese silk against my skin. Is there a law against being comfortable?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "But there's one about stealing my nighties!"

"You're just salty that I look so damn cute in them," Seven grinned.

"You stretch them out!" I was ready to club this boy.

"But admit it," he shoved his finger in my face, "I look cute."

I cradled my face in my hands, "What am I going to do with you, Seven?"

"Who knows?" Seven shrugged, putting Mortal Kombat in, "Alright, so what's going on with you and Yoosung? Is everything ok?"

"He's been kind of weird lately," I vented.

"Lately?" he teased, "Have you just met Yoosung? He's always been a little weirdo."

"It's not that," I went on, "He's been blowing up my phone more than he usually does. I've had to turn it off just to get some peace and quiet. I can't even log into the app to talk to you guys because I know Yoosung's going to freak and drill me about where I've been. I have a hard time dealing with that kind of clingy."

"When was the last time you talked to him?" Seven asked as Subzero grabbed a hold of Katana's body.

"This morning," I remembered, "A little while before you got here, he texted me."

"You know," he let out a heavy sigh, "We miss you in the chat, MC. It's not going to kill you to stop by once in a while."

"I still check in," I punched Seven in the chest and shoved his still beating heart in his face, "I know you're being overworked again."

"Preach..."

"And that Zen found a hair down there the other day."

"I was so proud."

"And Jumin's still in the closet."

"He's finding Christmas presents, MC."

"And Jaehee needs a vacation."

"What else is new?"

"But I keep informed," I promised, "I just keep my distance."

"We still miss you, MC," Seven dropped his controller in defeat after that beautiful fatality, "Don't be a stranger. And talk to Yoosung. I'm sure he'll be fine. He's more resilient than we give him credit for."

"I'll think about it," I pacified him, "How about another round?"

"I have to reclaim my honor somehow!"

I liked this. Seven and I have been like this since the day we met in person. But the day I met Seven was the day I met all of the RFA. Once Yoosung set his eyes on me...when his arms latched around my waist...I never wanted him to let go. I just didn't realize at the time what that would entail. So, I tried to hold RFA parties as much as I could. Just to have that warm feeling Yoosung radiated. It would end up with us sneaking off to a hotel room to play video games or me watching him in a LOLOL raid or us spending time alone. I miss those days.

"Well?" I finished my last bag of Honey Buddha Chips...After my ninth win, "Are you done having your ass handed to you, Seven?"

"Rude," Seven gasped, "I am insulted! Offended! Appalled!"

"Same time tomorrow, if you're not busy?"

"You know it," the two of us shared in a most glorious high five, "I think I'm going to call it a day, though."

"Ok," I turned the console off.

"Always a pleasure, MC," Seven gave me a little salute, "See you later!"

"Bye," I shut the door behind him and put another game in. Hanging out with Seven all afternoon was fun, but a bit of solitude sounded perfect. And a pizza! A pizza would hit the spot.

I called one of the local pizza places and began reliving my childhood. That magical combination of bread and cheese and tomato and crappy graphics put me in a beautiful haze of nostalga. Life was good. If ten year old me could see me now, she'd be a happy girl. It does get better, little MC. It really does.

Before I knew it, the clock struck midnight. I should probably go to bed. As I nestled down into my blankets, I did one last check of my phone. Eight missed calls, twenty-two unanswered texts. Were all of these from today? No doubt, they were all from Yoosung. I looked at the group chat to make sure it wasn't a life or death situation.

And there was one chatroom with Yoosung and Zen from half an hour ago.

[Yoosung has entered the chatroom.]

Yoosung:

*sigh*

[Zen has entered the chatroom.]

Zen:

What's the matter, Yoosung?

Yoosung:

MC's not here.

*crying emoji*

Zen:

I'm sure she's fine.

Yoosung:

I miss her, though.

Can I ask you something, Zen?

Zen:

Sure.

Yoosung:

Have you ever been in love?

Zen:

Yeah. Why?

Yoosung:

Since I haven't heard from MC...

I feel sick.

What if she's hurt?

What if she's not taking care of herself?

What if she's not eating?

What if she's lonely?

What if she's seeing someone else?

[707 has entered the chatroom.]

Zen:

Relax, Yoosung.

707:

Zen has a point.

Zen:

Mark it on the calendar. Seven's agreeing with me.

707:

Maybe she needs her space, Yoosung.

Zen:

What would you know about women?

707:

I've been in love before, too!

*crying emoji*

So mean, Zen!

MC! Zen's being mean to me!

Zen:

She's not here, Seven.

And AIs don't count!

Yoosung:

Hey, Seven...

707:

Yes, Yoosung?

Yoosung:

Can I come over?

I understand it's late, but...

707:

Sure, buddy. I'll leave the front door unlocked. Let yourself in.

Zen:

Yoosung, you wanted my advice, right?

Yoosung:

Yeah.

Zen:

Don't take relationship advice from Seven.

707:

*crying emoji*

Zen:

He uses the same emoji twice in one conversation.

Do you really want that?

707:

R00d!

See you soon, Yoosung!

Yoosung:

Yep!

Good night, MC...I love you.

[Zen has left the chatroom.]

[Yoosung has left the chatroom.]

[707 has left the chatroom.]

I closed out the app and put my phone back on the nightstand. I could understand why Yoosung was so worried about me, but the fact that he thought I was seeing someone else was a little silly. He's called me at three o'clock in the morning once to make sure we were still together. And I answered it out of a dead sleep. That boy had me worried, but at the same time, I had him worried, too. I shot him a quick text letting him know I was alive and went to sleep.

It was nice that Seven spoke on my behalf, though. I did need some space. Yoosung wouldn't hesitate to smother me. Hopefully Seven will be able to talk some sense into him. I know that Seven and sense doesn't usually belong in the same sentence, but given that it's about me, I'm sure he'll be able to knock something loose.

The next morning, I woke up like any other day and checked my phone. A usual good morning text from Yoosung and an empty chatroom. Same old, same old. I pulled myself out of bed and put a kettle on the stove. Let's see...It's a drizzly morning. Green tea? It's a green tea and oversized sweater kind of morning.

Knock, knock.

Weird. It's kind of early for visitors yet. It's barely nine o'clock and I'm still in my pajamas. Another set of knocks pounded at my door. Building manager, maybe? I don't remember having any plumbing problems and the electrical seemed pretty sound.

"MC, it's Seven. Let me in." Something about that didn't feel right.

"Hi, Seven," I opened the door only to find him battered and bruised on the other side, "Oh my God! Seven, what happened to you?"

"I had a rough night," Seven limped over to my kitchen table, slowly easing himself on a chair, "The defender of justice hid in the shadows."

"And?" I pulled the first aid kit out of the pantry.

"The shadows are mean," he chuckled a bit, "I hurt. I hurt everywhere."

"What happened exactly?" I started tending to the cuts on his face.

"It was my fault," Seven brushed it off, "I said the wrong thing to the wrong person and this happened."

"I hate when I have to mom voice you," I groaned, "But what have I said about keeping your mouth shut?"

"That it's physically impossible for me?"

"That, too," I rolled my eyes, "We're going to put that on the back burner, but for now, where else do you hurt?"

"I'll be fine, MC," Seven promised, "I'm just being a baby."

"Wait a minute," I thought it over, "Wasn't Yoosung with you last night?"

"Yoosung?" he froze, "What about him?"

"Is he ok?" I asked, "I read the chat last night and he said he was going to go over to your house."

"Yeah," Seven got a little twitchy, "Yoosung's fine. You don't have to worry about him. He just wanted to come over to talk."

"About?" I threw him some aspirin.

"A lady never kisses and tells, MC," he swallowed the tablets dry, "You know, I should be going. I just wanted to keep you update."

"But..."

"See you later." And just like that, Seven was out the door. Weird. Normally, he would've stuck around long enough to raid my fridge, but I might as well had just waterboarded him. I should probably call Yoosung just to make sure he is ok.

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

Ring...

"Hi!" his voicemail chimed, "This is Yoosung! Sorry I missed you. Leave a message!"

I thought it was strange he wasn't answering after the first ring. But I've never heard his voicemail before. First, Seven shows up black and blue. Then, my fridge goes left unpillaged. And now, my overly clingy boyfriend isn't answering his phone. He puts his LOLOL guild on hold to talk to me. I'm just having an off day. That's all this is. I'll just shoot him a text.

 _Hi, sweetie. xo_

 _-MC_

Beep!

Now, there's the Yoosung I know.

 _In class. Talk later._

 _-YK_

Ok. Now, I get why he wasn't answering. But the fact that he's backburnering me for class smells weird, too. Color me skeptical. Or I'm just overthinking. That seems like the more logical situation. Go about it like any other day, MC. Everything's fine. You took care of Seven. Yoosung's in class. You're just having a weird morning.

I spent the rest of my day going about my business. The RFA was hosting a party in a couple weeks and my inbox was full of emails from people asking for an invite. Luckily, I could laser focus on that to take my mind off Seven being attacked by the alleged shadows. Whatever that was supposed to mean. It's starting to get late. I should probably think about dinner before…

Knock, knock.

Who the hell…? I got up and got the door, definitely not expecting the company behind it, "Yoosung?"

"I found you…" my boyfriend pulled me into his arms, holding my face against his shoulder. He smelled sweeter than usual.

"Yoosung…" I was still in complete shock he was even here. He wouldn't let me go and honestly, I didn't want him, too. Just being in his arms made me completely weak…and a little dizzy.

"Shh…" he cradled me, "It's alright, MC. I'm right here."

"But…"

"Shh…" Yoosung hushed me again, "I'm going to take care of you, ok?"

"Yoosu…" my dizziness got the better of me and I completely blacked out.

When I came to, light was not my friend. My head was pounding and I wanted to go back to sleep, but I was afraid it'd lead to a concussion. Right now, a concussion was the least of my worries. Where the hell was I? Some studio apartment I've never been in before with my feet tied down to the bedposts and my wrists to the headboard. Bite your tongue, MC. If you don't feel pain, you'll wake up from the shock and everything will be ok.

 _Bite._

Ow. Shit!

Yoosung…The last thing I remember was him at my door. Where was Yoosung?

"Hi, MC," he sat at the edge of my bed, stroking my hair, my cheek, "How are you feeling?"

"Yoosung, where are we?" I shook.

"Don't worry about it," Yoosung settled me, "You're alright. I'm sure it's completely worn off by now."

"Where are we?" I needed answers and I needed them now.

"MC," he cradled my face in his palm, "This place is ours. I want us to live here together. Just you and me."

"That's all well and good, Yoosung," I tried to get out of the binds on my wrist, "But there's a better way of asking."

"I don't think you understand," his voice took a dark tone, " _Just_ you and me. We don't need anyone else."

"Yoosung," I started to get a little nervous, "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know if you know this," Yoosung's grip tightened on my jaw, "But I don't like to share, MC. I love you."

"I love you, too."

"Are you sure about that?" he snapped.

"Of course," I was ready throw up. I wasn't sure if it was from the nerves or from the headache.

"We've been together for a whole year," Yoosung growled, "I didn't even know where you lived! I could only see you at RFA events. I couldn't come see you. It's like V didn't want me to be alone with you!"

"Yoosung," I tried to get him to calm down, but since I didn't have much use of my hands, I couldn't do that, "You know that's not true."

"Isn't it, though?" his tirade went on, "V probably wants you all to himself! That's why he keeps you locked away in Rika's apartment! You're not his to have! It's not fair! Even Seven has been to Rika's! He can see you any time he wants to, too! He can see what you're doing any time of the day! And it's not fair!"

"Yoo…"

"When was the last time you saw him?" Yoosung wasn't even himself anymore. This wasn't the Yoosung I fell in love with. This was something darker, scarier…But then, things started to make sense. When Seven came over this morning, he jumped when I even mentioned Yoosung. When we met, Yoosung didn't look like he could hurt a fly, let alone do the kind of damage I saw on Seven.

"At the last RFA party," I worried about my best friend's safety. My boyfriend, who seemed to be in the middle of a psychotic break of some sort, didn't need to know certain things.

"You're lying to me!" he barked, "He told me he saw you yesterday and I saw the footage!"

"Yoosung…" my voice finally broke, "You're scaring me…"

"Oh my god," Yoosung laid his head on my shoulder, "I'm so sorry, MC. You know I never wanted that for you. Or for us, for that matter. Here. I ordered dinner for us. We can finally have our real first date like we always talked about."

"I'm not…"

"But you can't move, though…" he thought things through.

"Why not?" I wondered.

"I don't want you running off," Yoosung kissed my forehead, "You're mine, MC."

"Will you at least untie my hands?" I kept my fingers crossed.

"No," he shook his head, "I can't do that either."

"But how will I eat?"

"I've already thought of that!" Yoosung beamed, getting my fork out of the plastic and plating takeout pork katsu. He got a decent bite on my fork for me, "Eat, MC…"

"I'm not hungry."

"Yes, you are," he assured, "Come on, MC."

"Yoosung, this is…"

"Eat!" he demanded. Slowly, I opened my mouth out of fear. Bite after bite, Yoosung alternated between feeding me and feeding himself until it was all gone. This was ridiculous. I had two perfectly capable hands, but I was pretty sure my boyfriend kidnapped me. Not in the fun, trying something new to spice up our relationship way, but in the scary, stalker-y kind of way. This wasn't my Yoosung.

As he cleaned up the dishes, I steadied my breathing. If I didn't settle down soon, I'd throw myself into a heart attack. I needed something to distract myself, "What do we do now?"

"I'm glad you ask," Yoosung had a little smirk on his face as he made his way back to the bed, "Because I'm going to be the man you deserve. One that worships you at your feet like the queen you are. No…I'm going to be more than you deserve tonight."

"Yoosung," I watched him undo the buttons on my shirt, "What are you doing?"

He got down on the bed with me, kissing up and down my neck, sending my body into total chills. Yoosung grumbled into my ear, "What's royalty to a god?"

"Yoosung," I sighed out, "You know what you're doing is wrong."

"But that's what makes it so right," he bit under my ear, "You're mine, MC. And I'm going to make sure the world knows that. No one else can have you. No one else deserves you. If anyone even thinks about coming near you, they're going to wish they didn't. And you're not going anywhere."

In our year long relationship, Yoosung had managed to figure out exactly how I ticked. He knew every single button on my body and just the right way to push it. He knew what each combination did and how they all set me off. Yoosung had me down to a science. And he was pulling out all the stops tonight. Over…and over…and over…and over…To the point where he put me in pain.

After he was done and I was spent, Yoosung wrapped himself around me like I was his teddy bear and fell asleep. Luckily, I knew for a fact that Yoosung was a heavy sleeper and with all the thrashing going on, one of my ropes came loose. Not to mention, when it came to tying knots, Yoosung kind of sucked. I slipped the binds on my wrists and moved to my feet. Once I was out from under him, I grabbed my clothes and my phone and ran outside as fast as I could.

Come on…Pick up…

"Hello?"

"V, it's MC," my voice shook, "Are you in town?"

"Yeah," V said, "Why? Is everything ok?"

"It's Yoosung," I freaked, "He's having some sort of mental break. He chloroformed me and kidnapped me and I'm outside his apartment. Look, I'm scared and confused and on the verge of tears. Can you have someone come get me? I'll explain everything later."

"Of course," he promised, "He didn't hurt you or anything, did he?"

"That's debatable," I cringed, "Hurry. Please."

"On my way."

 **A/N: …Welp. That happened. Yoosung went yandere. Next week, I promise you it's going to be much, much nicer. I feel bad for making Yoosung such a dick, but like I said. The spirit of bad ends. See you next chapter! xx**


	4. Yoosung Kim: Good Route

The past six months have felt so surreal. I never thought V would ever let me leave Rika's apartment. The even bigger shock was getting his approval for me moving in with Yoosung. The first step in them rebuilding their relationship after everything they've been through. When I first started talking to Yoosung, I never would've guessed I'd be living with him one day. Every single day, I got to wake up next to him.

However, this morning would prove to be different. When I rolled over, my beloved boyfriend was nowhere to be found. I checked the living room. Nothing. I checked the office. Nothing. I knew he wasn't in the kitchen. After the great smoothie disaster of last Thursday, he wasn't allowed in the kitchen anymore...So much yogurt on the wall...The banana peels...I'm ok. Kind of.

I went back into our room and sat on the edge of our bed. Where the hell was Yoosung? He didn't do something silly like go to class early, did he? No, because he would've woke me up to kiss me goodbye. Out of the corner of my eye, I may have solved this mystery. Our bathroom door was shut. And a few soft coughs cackled on the other side.

"Yoosung?" I knocked.

"What?" Found him.

"Just wondering where you were," I got a bit nervous, "Are you ok?"

"Hold on," Yoosung made some of the weirdest noises, but this sounded like he might have been possessed. Or maybe in the middle of an exorcism. That can't be good, "What did you want?"

"Do you feel alright, sweetie?" I asked, clearly aware of the answer.

"Yeah," he came out of the bathroom pale as a ghost and lucky if he could stand, "I'm fine."

"You sure about that?" I caught him as he tripped over his own two feet.

"I'm sure," Yoosung's voice was harsh and raspy compared to its usual musical lilt, "Don't worry about me, MC. I'm ok."

"So," I figured, "Ok must mean you throwing up just now?"

"You heard that?" he winced.

"I did," my hand went to his forehead, "I thought so."

"What?"

"You're sick, aren't you, Yoosung?" I cut right to the chase.

"No," he lied through his teeth, "Really, MC. I'm fine."

"Yoosung," I sat him down before he hurt himself, "You were just throwing up. You're running a fever. You look awful. You're not fooling anyone, honey. You're sick."

"I know," Yoosung fell back on our bed, "But you can't fault me for trying."

"No one said I was," I assured him.

"But MC," he thought, "If I'm sick, what about you? I don't want you catching this."

"Don't worry about me," I hushed him, "Yoosung, I love you. Of course I'm going to take care of you. Besides, I have an immune system of steel."

"But..."

"Yoosung..." I didn't want to have to resort to threats, but he left me no choice, "Either I take care of you or I call Seven and he'll come over in full Nurse Joy cosplay and convince you you're dying of some rare disease that can only be cured by learning French."

"You," he picked without hesitation, "Definitely you."

"Good," I pulled our quilt over him and kissed his warm little cheek, "Go back to sleep for now, ok?"

"Ok," Yoosung got comfortable, "Thank you, MC."

"You're welcome, baby," I flipped the light off, "You want anything while I"m up?"

"Some water would be nice."

"I'll be right back," I made a beeline for the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. By the time I got back, this poor angel was already out again. I should probably take advantage of the downtime.

With Yoosung asleep, I left him a quick note and headed to the drugstore. We were low on a few things. And I'm positive we're going to run out of water. Yoosung doesn't get sick often, but when he does, I never have to worry about him dehydrating. I felt bad for him, though. I knew he hated when I had to take care of him and hated even more when there was nothing he could do about it.

For the longest time, Yoosung wanted to be more like Zen for me because it was what I deserved. It'd piss him off when I'd call him cute. When I'd suggest going to an amusement park over a movie for a date, he'd suppress the little glimmer of excitement in his eyes and we'd end up seeing a movie anyway. When it rained on our first Valentine's Day together, I told him I wanted to make a blanket fort in our apartment and watch Studio Ghibli movies, he shot that down and said he wanted to make me dinner instead...That ended up with us getting a crash course in how a fire extiguisher works...

What Yoosung failed to realize was that I didn't want Zen. If I did, I'd be with him. I wanted Yoosung. My sweet, lovable, adorable little Yoosung. My little weirdo game addict that I wouldn't change for anything. Besides, if it was the one thing Yoosung and I saw eye to eye on, Zen was a narcissist. And honestly, I can't stand someone who's too full of himself. That's half the reason why I'm with Yoosung in the first place.

I grabbed some medicine for Yoosung and a few bottles of Gatorade and went back to our place. When I opened the door, I heard soft whimpers coming from the bedroom. I'm pretty sure Yoosung was sleeping when I left. And I know I left a note. If he was that freaked, he'd know to call my phone. At least shoot me a text. I stuck my head in the bedroom door and found him twitching a little. How bad had his fever gotten?

That wasn't Yoosung seizing. That's just him being twitchy in his sleep. But the crying...The crying was breaking me. I sat at the edge of the bed and put the Gatorade in the mini fridge that replaced Yoosung's nightstand. Immediately, his arms latched around my waist like a reflex and his sobbing stopped. Aww...Yoosung...I love you, too, sweetheart. You just missed me.

I wasn't going to turn that down. So, he got cuddly? Big deal. I can still handle RFA stuff while I was here. And when I get done answering emails, I could play Tetris on my phone. Although, I wasn't going to answer anything from Longcat. After what happened at the last RFA party, he's not invited to the next one. That was at Jumin's insistence. Especially with the money he had to shell out for Elizabeth 3rd's therapy sessions and the open lawsuit. It's not every day when Daddy walks in on his little girl being promiscuous with another kitty.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't get one of those bottles of Gatorade for me. And after drinking half the bottle, I had to pee like a racehorse. Although, when I tried to get up, Yoosung knew. He felt me move. Whether or not he was entirely aware of it was a different story, but if I even considered getting up, Yoosung would start crying again. And I didn't want to put him through that. Stay strong, MC. Your bladder can hold out. You made it through that flight from Seoul to San Francisco that one Christmas. You can do this.

Ring, ring!

Crap! He's sleeping! Yoosung's not exactly a heavy sleeper! But that wasn't my phone either. I pulled the charger out of the bottom and slid my finger across the screen, "Hello?"

"...Hello?" a woman's voice answered, "Who is this? I know I didn't dial the wrong number."

"MC..." I was skeptical, "Who's this?"

"Where's Yoosung?" she demanded, "What have you done with my son?"

"Oh!" I let out a sigh of relief, "Hi, Mrs. Kim. I didn't kidnap him. I promise."

"Why do you have his phone?" she asked, just as confused as I was.

"Yoosung's sleeping."

"Why?" Mrs. Kim was a persistant one. That's for sure, "He should be in class right now."

"He didn't go to school today," I told her, "Yoosung's sick. He was throwing up this morning and he's running a pretty bad fever."

"I'll be right over," she insisted.

"No need," I assured, "He's not that bad. I got him."

"But..." If I would've punched her in the face, I think it'd have the same effect, "My baby's sick."

"I understand that," I nodded, "But I got him. I promise."

"What are you doing there anyway?" she wondered. And I froze. Yoosung and I hadn't exactly told his parents we were living together quite yet. They didn't even know we were dating. And V knew when to keep his mouth shut. I knew Yoosung's mother would be a hard pill to swallow. She has him on a very high pedestal and no one is ever good enough for him.

"I..." Come on, MC. I know you suck at lying like this, but do it for Yoosung. Keep the RFA out of this and keep your relationship under wraps. Yoosung doesn't need any added stress right now, "I'm a friend of his from school. When he didn't come to class today, I got worried, so I went to visit him and I've been helping him with a few things. I got him, Mrs. Kim. He'll be fine."

"He better be," she grumbled, "I'll be checking in periodically..."

"Looking forward to it." Like a colonoscopy.

Click.

How the hell did you do it, Yoosung? No wonder you're so soft and sweet and squishy. And cuddly. I bet your mom babied you until the day you moved out. And here you are, laying on my hip. I just wanted to get up and pee, but the odds of that happening any time soon were pretty slim. Unless Yoosung woke up in the next thirty minutes, I'm pretty sure my kidneys were going to revolt. I just needed something to take my mind off things. I wonder what the others are up to. The chat seemed to be booming.

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Zen:_

 _For the last time, Seven! I'm not sleeping with Jumin!_

 _707:_

 _No one used those words._

 _I'm just saying_

 _If I were you..._

 _I wouldn't be buying allergy medication and condoms at the same time._

 _And you're only allergic to one thing..._

 _And Jumin has that one thing..._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _707, that's enough._

 _707:_

 _Jaehee, you're such a mom._

 _I'm surprised you don't have kids._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _I do._

 _Sort of._

 _Zen:_

 _She's got Jumin. Isn't that enough?_

 _MC:_

 _Did I come in at the wrong time?_

 _And Zen, are you really the one to be talking about Jumin?_

 _707:_

 _Thank you, MC!_

 _See?_

 _I love when she takes my side._

 _MC:_

 _I'm not necessarily taking your side, Seven._

 _I'm more or less saying that Zen and Jumin are cut from the same cloth._

 _Zen:_

 _*crying emoji*_

 _MC!_

 _How can you compare me to that jerk?!_

 _MC:_

 _If Jumin had emotions, he'd be you._

 _707:_

 _lololololololol_

 _If Jumin had emotions..._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Hello, MC._

 _How are you today?_

 _MC:_

 _Hi, Jaehee._

 _I wish I could say I was fantastic, but alas. I'll have to settle for good._

 _707:_

 _What's the matter, MC?_

 _Zen:_

 _Like you care._

 _707:_

 _Of course I do!_

 _MC:_

 _Boys!_

 _I didn't come to the chat to separate you two._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _What's wrong, MC?_

 _MC:_

 _It's Yoosung._

 _707:_

 _WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH POOR LITTLE YOOSUNG?!_

 _MC:_

 _Ease up on the capslock, Seven._

 _He's not feeling well._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Is he going to be ok?_

 _MC:_

 _I think he's got the flu._

 _But he'll be fine._

 _Zen:_

 _That's good to hear._

 _707:_

 _Give him a kiss for me._

 _MC:_

 _No._

 _707:_

 _Whyyyy nooooottt?"_

 _*crying emoji*_

 _You're monopolizing him, MC!_

 _It's not nice!_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Would you like to date Yoosung, Seven?_

 _Zen:_

 _Yeah, Seven._

 _Are you buying condoms and allergy meds?_

 _707:_

 _The difference between you and me, Zen, is that you think you're in my head by insinuating I have romantic feelings for Yoosung and that your opinion of me matters._

 _Jaehee's opinion differs. She could probably kill me with her bare hands. But you? I don't think you'd go that far._

 _Zen:_

 _Then, what makes Jaehee any different?_

 _707:_

 _She has years of penned-up aggression toward Jumin that could come out at any given moment._

 _MC:_

 _..._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _..._

 _Well, he's not wrong._

 _MC:_

 _That was a surprisingly deep analysis, Seven._

 _707:_

 _And quite a distraction, if I do say so myself!_

 _God 707 strikes again!_

 _*celebratory emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _Aaand he's back._

 _707:_

 _And better than ever!_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _I should be going. Mr. Han is calling._

 _Zen:_

 _I got rehearsals._

 _707:_

 _More time for MC and me!_

 _MC:_

 _I have to go, too, Seven._

 _I have Yoosung to take care of._

 _707:_

 _Lonely..._

 _I'm Mr. Lonely..._

 _I have noboodyyyy..._

 _For my oooooowwwnnnnn..._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _I'm sure we'll be back on later._

 _MC:_

 _If not at least me._

 _707:_

 _Keep me posted on Yoosung._

 _Despite what_ _ **SOME PEOPLE**_ _say._

 _Zen:_

 _Assuming that's me?_

 _707:_

 _Don't you have rehearsals, Zen?_

 _Zen:_

 _You're right._

 _[Zen has left the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _But Yoosung does have me worried._

 _And I do care about him._

 _He's like a little brother to me._

 _MC:_

 _I'll text you later._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Pray for me._

 _707:_

 _I will!_

 _MC:_

 _Yes. The ever pious 707..._

 _707:_

 _Later!~_

 _[707 has left the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Good luck, Jaehee._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Thank you, MC._

 _[Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom]_

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

I put my phone back on the mini fridge and checked on Yoosung again. My hand found his forehead again. Still pretty warm, but when my cold hands rested on his skin, it made him smile in his sleep. It almost made me wonder if he was still sleeping. But I knew he was. My poor baby...However, his smile didn't last long.

All of a sudden, Yoosung started shaking in my arms. Maybe he's just cold? I pulled another blanket over him and held him a little closer. Then, he started to babble in his sleep. Mostly nonsense about LOLOL and his avatar and how he's running low on mana and he needs a healer. But things took a little darker turn at the drop of a hat.

"Why...?" Yoosung wept, "Why couldn't I save you...? Rika...Was I not good enough? Why couldn't I save you...?"

Not good. I put my hand on Yoosung's shoulder and gave him a nudge, "Yoosung...Yoosung, sweetie, wake up."

"What if I can't save MC either?" his tears soaked through my shirt, "Rika...Rika..."

"Yoosung," I raised my voice, "Wake up."

Slowly, his bloodshot, tear filled eyes opened up. And all he could do was hug me tighter, "MC...I'm so glad you're ok."

"I haven't left," I promised, "Everything's alright. Your fever must be screwing with your head."

"That's a thing?"

"Yeah," I cradled him, "But don't worry. Everything's fine. I'm good. You're still sick, but you're good, too, for the most part."

"I'm sorry for putting you through this," Yoosung laid his head on my thigh, "You must think I'm pretty path-"

"No," I stopped him before he could start, "Don't do that to yourself. It's not fair. You just had a bad fever trip. How you feeling?"

"Still pretty bad," he groaned, "But I think I'll make it."

"Good," I kissed his forehead, "Since you haven't thrown up since this morning, you want to try eating something?"

"Sure," Yoosung wasn't going to let me go, though. Whatever just went on in his head really hit him hard. He usually was a bit shaken when he'd talk about Rika. And with his fever, it only amplified things.

"What do you want?" I wasn't going to dwell on it, though. It'd only upset him more.

"What do we have?"

"What do you want, sweetheart?" I reiterated, "Anything you want."

"You know what I want." There it was. There was that little smile only Yoosung could do. He was feeling better.

"Alright," I put him down on the bed, "By the way, there's Gatorade in the fridge."

"What kind?"

"The only kind you drink," I rolled my eyes, giggling a little, "Come on, Yoosung. We've been together for how long?"

"The green kind?"

"Duh."

"I love you, MC," he leaned over the bed and reached in the mini fridge.

"I love you, too."

I left Yoosung in our bedroom and got in the kitchen. Ever since we started dating, I cringed at the thought of Yoosung cooking. Why? Because he's a disaster on legs. Anyone who has ever met him knows this. It's no secret. And I liked our kitchen. It was my happy place, my inner sanctum, my place of peace. So, when a little whirlwind like Yoosung comes in and disrupts the chi, I get testy.

There was one thing I made on rare occasions that if it wasn't the key to Yoosung's heart, nothing was. According to him, I made the greatest chicken and dumplings he's ever eaten in his life. And everything was made from scratch. Not that it was hard. Just really time consuming. I checked in the cabinet to make sure we had everything. I hadn't baked in a while, so whether or not we had flour was a bit sketch. I might have to make a run to the grocery store.

Nope! The staples were good. Plenty of flour. Plenty of baking powder. But I was going to have to go to the store anyway. I didn't have heavy cream and I didn't have chicken broth. I didn't need the chicken broth. I could make my own. But I did need that heavy cream. I poked my head in the doorway of the bedroom, "Hey, Yoosung?"

"Yeah?" he popped his head out of the mountain of blankets on top of him.

"I have to go to the store real quick," I told him, "I shouldn't be gone longer than ten minutes. Are you going to be ok until I get back?"

"I think so..."

"I'll be right back," I gave him a quick kiss, "And no more weird fever dreams, got it? Your last one scared the hell out of me."

"I'll try."

I left Yoosung to get a little more sleep and headed for the grocery store. Ok. I didn't need the chicken stock. The chicken was in my slow cooker in some water with some butter and some bouillon and everything was golden on that front. I needed that heavy cream, though. It was already getting kind of late and this would take at least an hour and a half. Tell him you're going to make him chicken and dumplings, MC. That's a great idea. This is why you don't make this often!

I got everything I needed and started back home. To the inner sanctum. Yoosung's been pretty low maintenance today aside from his Rika fever dream, so I could take my time. Making dumplings was such a centering thing for me. I wasn't sure why. I guess the repetition and how mind numbing it could be. It works. Once everything was done and the gravy was perfect, I let it sit for another half hour to incorporate.

"Hey, MC," Yoosung called from the bedroom.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"When did my mom call?" he wondered, "And why did she call you a floozie?"

"I don't know why." But I'd have a stern talking with her soon enough, "But she called earlier while you were sleeping. She was going to come over, but I told her I was more than capable."

"You stood up to my mom?" Yoosung gasped.

"Was I not supposed to?"

"It's not that," he assured, "It just took me by surprise. What did you tell her?"

"That I was a friend of yours from school," I tasted the gravy. Hot damn, MC, "I stopped by to check on you."

"So, she still has no idea we're living together?"

"Not a clue."

"Good," he sighed out, "How long until everything's done?"

"It could be done now," I thought it over, "You want some?"

"Yes, please!"

I got a bowl for each of us and brought them into the bedroom. All day, I haven't seen that boy's face light up so much. Yoosung's color was starting to come back, too. While he was eating, I felt his forehead again. It's safe to say his fever's broken, so no more scary Rika dreams. I could see it in his eyes, Yoosung was definitely feeling better.

When we were done, I took our dirty dishes and put them in the sink. I had little to no desire to even touch the dishes. They can wait until tomorrow, right? I put the rest of dinner in a container and put it in the fridge. Then, I crawled back into bed with my boyfriend, who slid right next to me, burying his face in my full belly.

"What did I do to deserve you, MC?" Yoosung asked, "Maybe I rescued a nun from a burning building in a past life."

"Yoosung," I teased, "The other day, you cried over a spider in the office and made me go kill it. I don't think you were running into burning buildings."

"I love you," he laid his head on my thigh.

"I love you, too," I rested my hand on his cheek, "When you're feeling better, do you think we should tell your…"

"Hold on," Yoosung cut me off, "What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty," I checked the clock, "Why?"

"I HAVE A LOLOL RAID TONIGHT!" he freaked, "I CAN'T MISS THAT!"

"Yes, you can," I held him down, "Yoosung, you're sick. I'm sure the guild will understand. You're not playing LOLOL tonight."

"But…!"

"No," I shoved my finger in his face, "You're. Sick. Yoosung. Your guild will understand."

"But…" I glared at him and Yoosung let out a sigh of defeat, "Fine…Wait a minute!"

"What?"

"MC…" Yoosung snuggled closer to me, "How much do you love me?"

"I took care of you all day," I reminded him, "I don't think that's even a question."

"In that case," he begged, "Will you-"

"Not even as a joke," I put my foot down, "I love you, Yoosung, but I'm drawing the line at running LOLOL raids for you."

"Can't say I didn't try," Yoosung let out a little giggle that melted my heart.

"How about this?" I suggested, "I'm going to go put pajamas on and I'll turn on the Netflix account and we can watch our favorite guilty pleasure."

"Stranger Things?"

"And let you have nightmares over the Demogorgon again?" I giggled, "I spent an hour after that trying to calm you down! That's my guilty pleasure. I'm talking _our_ guilty pleasure."

"…Boys Over Flowers?"

"Bingo," I jumped out of bed, "I better not catch you in the office either or so help me, Yoosung…"

"I won't!" Yoosung squeaked. Even his voice was coming back. I'm sure after a good night's sleep, he'll be 100% again. I got in a onesie and crawled back in bed with Yoosung. He stole the remote from me and turned on Boys Over Flowers. I'm glad to see he's feeling better. And that we can mutually fangirl and we don't judge each other. This wasn't exactly how I pictured my day going and I wouldn't wish Yoosung getting sick again, but this? This little part here? This was ok. This I liked.

The next morning, I woke up and found my precious boyfriend opening his sparkling purple eyes, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," I smiled, breathing through a spell of nausea, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better," Yoosung gave me a little kiss, "Thank you, MC. I couldn't have gotten better without you."

"That's good to hear," I groaned, pulling the blanket over my head.

"MC…?" he worried, "You ok?"

"I'm fine…"

But Yoosung saw right through me, "Immune system of steel, huh?"

"Shut up, Yoosung."

"Admit it," he dug deeper, "You got sick, too, didn't you?"

"Shut up, Yoosung."

But he was right. I felt like I was dying…

"Alright," he let it go, "I have to go to class, but…I could always call Seven."

"Yoosung, I swear to God."

"What's a god to a non-believer?" Yoosung pulled me into his chest, "Might as well return the favor, right?"

 **A/N: I love this. Yoosung is such a cutie and my cinnamon roll son and my little ball of sunshine. I hated that I made him sick, but in a way, I made him better, too. In case you haven't noticed, I'm a huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge sucker for a sic fic, ok? Especially when it's a character as sweet and precious and adorable as Yoosung. And to MimichanMC, I hope Yoosung's squishy route was up to your expectations, if not a little higher. Now! It's that time again. Who's next, guys? Who do I give a route to next? Cast your votes in the reviews and I'll see you next chapter! xx**


	5. Zen: Bad Route

**A/N: Hello, friends. Here we are. It's a new week AND a new route. Are you ready for who we're tackling this week? Well, because AishaHayatSenpai was so kind and asked so nicely, this week and next week, we'll be doing ZEN'S ROUTE! Yaaaay! I've been getting a lot of positive feedback with Yoosung's route. More particularly the chatroom with MC, Seven, Zen, and Jaehee where Seven told Zen not to buy allergy medicine and condoms at the same time because of the age old question: 'Does Jumin Han is gay?'. But that chatroom still gets me for a cheap laugh, so you're very welcome, my loves. And now, let's start with Zen's bad route, shall we?**

 **But before we get into it, I want to apologize in advance for what's about to ensue. Because hi. I'm a writer. I'm an asshole. Because I'm about to do something to one of the characters that deserves everything, but always ends up getting the short end of every stick. So, if I need to add any other warnings through this other than this particular chapter is going to make you cringe a bit. And not in the "Damn, Lumi. You've lost your touch and this sucks something awful." way, but the deliberately placed cringe. So, hang in there. Because we're about to delve into the mind of a very scary fangirl…**

Joining the RFA was the best decision I ever made. Ever since my phone got hacked, it's been nothing but positivity coming my way. I've come to like everyone in the organization, but I could never have anticipated him. Zen...Saying I was a huge fan would be an understatement! Everything he's ever been a part of is gold! Now, I'd be working with him side by side! I'm dreaming, aren't I? I must be. If that's the case, I don't ever want to wake up from this.

Although, I still had yet to meet him. I thought I'd be able to at the first RFA party, but he had a mandatory rehearsal and couldn't make it. I needed to meet him. Lucky for me, I remembered Zen talking about a food truck he loved that hung around outside his apartment building. And guess who found that food truck?

I slipped out of Rika's apartment for this. Worth it. And if anyone tries to check the apartment security cameras, I taped a picture of me "sleeping" over the camera. look at him in there...Just cracked open a beer, script in hand. By the looks of him, he just got back from the gym. That's right, baby. Keep that muscle tone sculpted by the gods up. That flawless muscle tone...

I thought my heart was about to explode. My breathing fogged up the glass and I hated myself for it, but I could still see inside. But then, I made a rookie mistake, I tripped over my own two feet and tapped the glass, making my image of perfection jump. This is why tapping the glass at the zoo is heavily frowned upon. We don't want to scare the cutie inside.

Dammit, MC! You idiot! Immediately, I took off like a bullet from a gun. If Zen would've seen me, I'd probably get arrested. You can't eye Zen up in jail, you clumsy dumbass! I was exhausted and out of breath, but I made it back to Rika's apartment in one piece. I could self-flagellate later. For now, I needed to go to bed. Good night, my love. I'm sure I'll see you in my dreams.

The next morning, I thought for sure my legs were going to fall off. I really should take up running daily as a preventative measure for these kinds of things. However, a picture of my beautiful angel illuminated my phone screen and my heart. My pain melted away and my soul was cleansed. I should probably check the chat, just in case Zen's on. Well, well, well...What do you know? Look who we have here...Jackpot.

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Good morning, everyone!_

 _707:_

 _Hey, hey!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Good morning, MC!_

 _Zen:_

 _Morning..._

 _*tired emoji*_

 _707:_

 _Aww...What's the matter, Zen? Not enough beauty sleep last night?_

 _MC:_

 _Seven, play nice!_

 _707:_

 _So scary..._

 _*scared emoji*_

 _Yoosung:_

 _MC is always protective of Zen._

 _MC:_

 _Is that a crime now?_

 _What's wrong, Zen?_

 _Zen:_

 _Seven, could you do me a favor?_

 _707:_

 _A favor?_

 _Me?_

 _Le gasp!_

 _Zen:_

 _Seven, this is serious!_

 _707:_

 _Alright, alright._

 _What's up?_

 _Zen:_

 _Could you hack CCTV for me?_

 _707:_

 _In my sleep!_

 _How dare you insult me with such a small job?_

 _Yoosung could probably do this!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Hey!_

 _*crying emoji*_

 _Zen:_

 _Will you or not?_

 _707:_

 _What do you need CCTV for?_

 _Zen:_

 _I need to see the camera outside my building._

 _I think I have a stalker..._

 _Yoosung:_

 _*scared emoji*_

 _How creepy!_

 _707:_

 _The struggles of being a celebrity._

 _MC:_

 _Did you see anyone?_

 _Zen:_

 _Yeah, but they ran off._

 _707:_

 _Are you sure you weren't hallucinating?_

 _Zen:_

 _I know what I saw!_

 _I'm freaking out here!_

 _This is beyond creepy!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Maybe we should send MC._

 _No stalker would stand a chance!_

 _MC:_

 _Thank you, Yoosung. :)_

 _Zen:_

 _That's be all well and good, Yoosung._

 _But you're forgetting something._

 _MC._

 _Can't._

 _Leave._

 _Rika's place._

 _707:_

 _I can get you that CCTV footage._

 _Zen:_

 _Thank you._

 _MC:_

 _We got this, Zen._

 _Everything will be ok._

 _Zen:_

 _Thanks, MC._

 _*smiling emoji*_

 _But the suck part is..._

 _I have a meet and greet with my fans tomorrow!_

 _What if my stalker's there?_

 _707:_

 _I'd double up on your security._

 _But that's just me._

 _See if Jumin will let you borrow Jaehee!_

 _MC:_

 _Seven..._

 _Jaehee's got Jumin to worry about._

 _707:_

 _But she'd be so unexpected!_

 _MC:_

 _No._

 _Zen:_

 _I wouldn't want to bother her._

 _707:_

 _But she'd be perfect!_

 _Think about it._

 _Black belt in judo._

 _Loves you._

 _Would rather deal with the apocalypse than Jumin._

 _MC:_

 _Shut up, Seven. He said no._

 _Zen:_

 _It's a good idea in theory_

 _In practice, I think it'd be a little excessive._

 _707:_

 _Just saying, she's available._

 _Zen:_

 _I should be going._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Me, too._

 _707:_

 _Samesies._

 _MC:_

 _Bye, Zen._

 _Don't worry about your stalker._

 _We'll take care of it._

 _Zen:_

 _You're so sweet, MC._

 _Never change._

 _[Zen has left the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _What about the rest of us?_

 _MC:_

 _What about you?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _You're thinking it, too, aren't you, Seven?_

 _707:_

 _Thank god, I'm not the only one!_

 _MC:_

 _The hell are you two talking about?_

 _707:_

 _You're in love with Zen, MC._

 _Admit it!_

 _MC:_

 _You two are two halves of a whole idiot._

 _Did you know that?_

 _707:_

 _SHE'S GETTING DEFENSIVE!_

 _YOOSUNG, SCREENSHOT THIS!_

 _MC:_

 _I have better things to do than get cornered like this._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Maybe she's not, Seven._

 _We could be wrong._

 _Ultimately, wouldn't MC know better than us?_

 _MC:_

 _Thank you, Yoosung._

 _Good to know ONE of you has a little bit of sense._

 _Yoosung:_

 _You're welcome!_

 _*happy emoji*_

 _707:_

 _Suck up._

 _MC:_

 _Now, then._

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

Dammit! They're onto me. I can't believe them. They think I'm in love with Zen. I mean...They're right, but still! To call me out like that was bullshit! But...Zen thought I was creepy...That's not a little wound to my pride. I'm going to have to get craftier if Seven's going to hack CCTV for him. But I'm smart and keep my face covered. Even if Zen were to track his stalker down, no one would know it was me.

And to make things worse, they suggest JAEHEE to go protect him? Nobody would be able to protect Zen like I can. I don't care if she's got a black belt in judo. I could rip someone's arm off if it meant keeping Zen away from everyone. I wouldn't hesitate to cut someone for Zen. All he'd have to do is ask. If he were to tell me to jump, I'd be right there asking him how high.

Hold on...

Did Zen say he was doing a meet and greet tomorrow?

I HAVE TO GO. MY ZEN NEEDS ME.

But it's not until tomorrow...I buried my face in my pillows, miserable over the eighteen hours between now and tomorrow. If only time could go by faster...Maybe if I throw myself into some RFA work, I'll feel better. We did have a party coming up in the next few weeks. I should probably get to work on the guest list. Pull yourself together, MC. Imagine if Zen were to see you in such a pitiful state. He'd be so disappointed. For Zen!

I opened up my RFA email and the top one made my blood boil. I don't know who gave my contact information to Zen's fan club, but there was no way in hell they were getting an invite. Those bitches were BLOODTHIRSTY for Zen. Zen could only have one stalker in this world. And that title belonged to me. It was nothing but a block of text of the fan club's president spazzing over Zen, asking if he'd be at the RFA party. She didn't care about him. Not like I did. So, me being the linguistically superior one of us, sent a nicely worded email back.

 _Dear Madame President,_

 _No. Nor will he ever be._

 _Please lose this information._

 _Regards,_

 _RFA Coordinator_

There. One email down. Half a dozen to go.

At least it only took one.

Ugh! This was maddening! The longer I looked at the clock, the slower it moved. Why couldn't it be tomorrow? I'd finally be meeting Zen in twelve hours, give or take an hour for the length of the line. But he'd be in front of me. He'd be more than just the posters on the walls of my old apartment or the body pillow or the figurines I made for my shrine. He'll be flesh and bone in front of me. I'll be able to physically touch him...He'll be mine.

Doubling up on security might be a tad tricky. I couldn't doubt myself, though. I've dealt with K-pop concert security before and took up boxing for a reason. Dealing with Zen's extra security wouldn't be much different, I'm sure. And those are some big dudes. They never think sweet, little me would be able to pack such a punch. My trainer was very proud.

Soon, my love...Very soon.

I stopped looking at the clock and got something to eat from the fridge instead. Rika didn't have a very big apartment, so it was slim pickings in the fridge department. If it couldn't fit in a mini fridge, I wasn't having it. But I knew Zen would be upset with me if I started skipping meals now. Cooking seemed like too much work, but luckily for me, I had a big box of Hot Pockets to keep me alive. Besides, I had to pick something to wear for tomorrow.

Since my joining the RFA, I've been kept very well accommodated. It's not like I had time to go back to my old apartment and pack. So, Jumin was kind enough to leave me one of his credit cards and I did some online shopping. It's not like he was going to go shopping for me and Jaehee was too valuable a resource to him to send her out for the afternoon. While I was shopping, though, I had this day in mind. I had to be cute for when I met Zen.

I threw my closet door open and researched my options. The entire spectrum in front of me. I could come off sweet and innocent or I could come off as a hooker. Or a high-class escort. Or a little bit of everything. Did I want to be shy and quiet or did I want to be loud and bold? I knew what Zen's type was. He liked a girl that could take care of herself, but still had some of that shyness to her. He wanted his princess to counteract his knightliness.

And that's exactly what I'd become for him. I'm going to look like I stepped out of a fairytale for him. I'll become Zen's ideal. With my experience in the RFA, there's no one in this world Zen loves more than himself. Would I want to look as much like Zen as I could to get him to fall in love with me? I've considered the plastic surgery route once or twice, but that just seems like an unnecessary amount of cutting into my skin I didn't need. Something tells me that's not exactly Zen's thing either.

I had something perfect for this very occasion. A white lacy dress that gave me an angelic quality like the one I'll wear on our wedding day. Zen's angel. I like the sound of that. Almost as I like the thought of being his princess. My white knight. Swoon…Tomorrow, my prince. Tomorrow, I'll see your face in person. Unfiltered. Unphotoshopped. Not that you needed any of that. None of your pictures are edited and you're that perfect. It'll be different from seeing you in your window, but I can't wait.

That morning, I woke up super early to make myself absolutely perfect for him. And to set up my work around for the security camera. Holy shit. I didn't realize how long this line would be. I don't understand why all these other girls were here. It's not like any of them had a shot with him. I knew him on a personal level. I already had a leg up. As the line grew shorter and shorter, my heart started beating faster and faster and I got closer and closer to him…Don't have a nosebleed, MC. You're wearing white. Zen's wearing white. That wouldn't be cute at all.

He's perfect…

When I finally got to the front of the line, I thought I was going to pass out. Wouldn't that be perfect, though? I faint into Zen's arms only to wake up in them shortly after. He asks his princess if she's ok and offers to take her home where he'll keep an eye on her, just to make sure she's really doing ok. I bit so hard on my tongue to keep myself from squealing that I thought I was going to actually bite it off. I needed to relax, but this creature in front of me was making it impossible. It's almost a good thing we were separated by a table.

"Hi," his voice shattered through me and his smile was enough to blind me. All it took was one little word and my heart stopped.

"Hi," I could barely get it out, but I did it. Come on, MC. I know it's Zen, but you've talked to him a million times before.

"Do I know you?" Zen asked, "You seem really familiar."

"No," I shook my head, giving myself whiplash, "We've never met. I'm sorry. I'm just a really big fan and I might cry shortly."

"Don't do that," he cradled my face in the palm of his hand. He's touching me…What do I do? What do I do?! Relax, MC, "I wouldn't want you crying over me. Why would I want to break a woman's heart like that?"

"You don't think…" I took a big leap here. Maybe I should quit while I'm ahead, but dammit, let's see how far we can push this, "You don't think I could get a hug, do you?"

"Of course you can," Zen's face lit up, "Why don't you come around this way?"

This was it! A moment I've waited a long time for. I started to walk around the other side of the table, but because I'm not allowed nice things, one of his extra guards blocked me, "Please stay five feet away."

"She's ok," Zen fought for me, pulling me into his chest. I bit down even harder on my tongue. Don't squeal, MC. Whatever you do, don't squeal, "Are you sure we haven't met before? You feel really familiar."

"I'm sure." Score! His body against mine felt more amazing than I could've ever imagined. All of a sudden, I felt very lightheaded. Sure enough, that's when Zen let me go.

"It was really nice meeting you," he gave me one last smile, "Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

"Maybe…" I swooned.

And just like that, our brief moment was gone. Security ushered me aside. But I was there. I was in his arms. His warm body on mine. I didn't want to be anywhere else anymore. I wanted to do all I could to get back there. On my way out, it seemed as if the line had doubled in size. I don't understand why the others even bother when it's so obvious. Zen was going to be mine.

I went home to pass out from metaphorical nose blood loss. He held me today. All because he didn't want to break my heart. Just when I think it's impossible to love him any more than I already do, he goes and does something like that. It's pretty safe to say that I'm going to marry that boy one day. And maybe one day soon. I wonder what he would've said if I told him who I was. We can leave that surprise for another day. I took my phone out of my bag and opened up the chat, just to see who was here.

 _[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.]_

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Zen has a stalker?_

 _Poor Zen._

 _He doesn't deserve something like that._

 _MC:_

 _Hi, Jaehee._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Hello, MC._

 _What do you think about this?_

 _MC:_

 _About what?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Zen's stalker._

 _Do you think it's a crazy fan?_

 _MC:_

 _How should I know?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _There has to be a line between the talent and the fans._

 _The talent is entitled to their own life, too._

 _This is why I keep my distance._

 _MC:_

 _Good._

 _Keep it that way._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Excuse me?_

 _MC:_

 _Are you sure you're not his stalker, Jaehee?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _WHAT?_

 _*shocked emoji*_

 _I would never!_

 _MC:_

 _You're getting awfully defensive._

 _And you probably know where Zen lives._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _I'm not stalking Zen!_

 _I wouldn't even THINK about stalking Zen!_

 _[Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Watch yourself, Zen..._

 _Be careful._

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

I think I might have just found my patsy. Jaehee has been suspicious of me since the beginning anyway. And she had every right to be. However, she's a little too close to Zen for my liking. If she was given the opportunity, I'm sure she'd be all over Zen in a heartbeat. Jaehee wasn't near the levels of dedicated as I was. She didn't deserve him. Nobody else did. Nobody else understood him like I did. Zen was meant to be mine.

More importantly, I have no doubt that Jaehee's going to warn Zen with her suspicions of me. That means I have to get to Zen first. Luckily, I just so happen to know where he lives. And what his living room looks like. And what he does after he gets back from the gym. And what kind of beer he drinks. And his favorite food truck. And that he happened to smell really good today...

It's weird going to Zen's house without staring through the window. As long as he doesn't turn me away. He wouldn't. Zen had too much of that gentlemanly, knight in shining armor engrained in him. This was his front door. Zen lived in a basement apartment, but he didn't mind. He said it kept him humble and that's all that matters, right? I knocked a couple times and waited.

"Hello," Zen opened the door, making my knees week, "Hey, you're the girl from the meet and greet today."

"Yeah..." He remembered me! Hold it together, MC. You're on a mission. You brought certain things to make sure that mission goes off without a hitch, "Hi..."

"Can I ask what you're doing here?" he wondered, full of skepticism.

"I lied to you today," I played the part of the sweet girl very well, "Can you ever forgive me?"

"What do you mean?" Zen soothed me.

"We do know each other," I confessed, "I never told you my name."

"And what is it?"

"It's..." I smiled at him, "It's MC..."

"MC...?" God, Zen...It's a good thing you're pretty, "MC?!"

I took my phone out and texted him one word: Surprise.

"Yeah..."

"MC!" Zen threw his arms around me without another thought, "Oh my God! This is a surprise! Come in! What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" I giggled, "Because I love you, Zen. And I wanted to tell you that in person. After all the nice things you've said to me in the chat, I couldn't help myself. You made it so easy for me to fall for you."

"MC…" he held me tighter, "I'm so happy to see you. And to hear your voice. I can't believe you're here."

"What are you doing?" I asked, trying to mask my excitement.

"I was running lines," Zen led me further inside.

"You want some help?" I offered.

"Yeah!" he squeaked, "That'd be great! I just got a new part and it's a little hard to do by myself."

"But you can do it," I assured, "I know you can."

"You're a hell of a motivator, MC," Zen was still having a hard time wrapping his head around my presence. Honestly, I knew exactly what he was feeling, "I don't understand why I always have to be shirtless, though. The director said he saw a shirtless shot of me and that was the deciding factor."

"It's because you're so beautiful," I swooned, "Really, Zen…And more so in person."

"I can't help that," he blushed a little. I did that. I got Zen to blush! Let's see Jaehee do that, "Hey, did you hear?"

"Did I hear what?" my stomach dropped. Had he found me out already?

"My stalker," Zen threw himself on his couch so flawlessly, "She might as well have confessed in the chat today. It's Jaehee."

"Really?" I played along, watching everything go according to plan, "Jaehee?"

"Yeah," he chuckled to himself, looking down in his script, "You think you know someone. Only to find out they're peeping in your windows."

"Yeah," I dug in my bag for a shiny pair of bracelets attached with a chain between them, "Or when you have a lot of charisma and a pretty face and you can get anyone to believe anything you want them to."

"What do you mean?" Zen started to get nervous. He's so cute when he's nervous.

"Well," I flittered my eyelashes at him, moving a little closer. Just enough to put his shiny bracelet on and attach the other end to one of the metal rungs on the couch, "Like in Jaehee's case. I think I got everyone to think she was your stalker. When, in reality, she wasn't your stalker."

"Very cute, MC," Zen laughed uncomfortably, "Bringing in handcuffs. I mean, I didn't think you were into that sort of thing."

"Jaehee wasn't your stalker, Zen," I promised, laying my head on his shoulder, "She wants you so bad, though. Now, we can't have that."

"Why not…?"

"Because," I grinned darkly, "You're mine, Zen. And I don't like anyone else playing with my toys."

Then, all the pieces fell into place in his head, "You…?"

"Me," I kissed his cheek, "You're mine, Zen. And if I can't have you, no one can."

"MC," his breathing sped up, "What are you doing?"

"Proving to you how much I love you," I curled into his ribs, "But remember, I could destroy you. I know things about you that not everyone knows. Do you know the kind of bidding war that would put in the media? Especially for an actor that's finally starting to get some serious recognition? I could end your career before it even starts if you even sneeze without my say so."

"Why are you doing this?" his voice shook.

"Because," I latched on tighter, "You wouldn't have been with me any other way. There's no way that someone like you would go for someone like me in a million years. Tell me, Zen. Tell me you love me."

"I…" Zen hesitated. I don't like that, "I love you, MC…"

"And I love you…" But hearing those words come out of his mouth made me melt, so I didn't even care.

"If you love me," he asked, "Why can't others enjoy me, too?"

"They don't deserve you," I held him against my chest, "They're cruel. All those blogs are waiting for you to screw up something in one way or another. They're waiting to pounce on the opportunity to prove you're nothing but a pretty face. Stay with me, Zen. I can protect you from them…Because I love you, Zen. And I never want you to ever go away from me…"

 **A/N: So, MC's a bit of a stalker. And a little bit creepy. But I'm SO SORRY FOR BEING AN ASSHOLE ABOUT JAEHEE. I LOVE HER VERY MUCH AND I WISH NO HARM ON HER, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY, SHE MADE A PERFECT SCAPEGOAT. PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I promise the good route will be so much better. Pinky promise. See you next chapter! xx**


	6. Zen: Good Route

Joining the RFA was the best decision I ever made. Why? If I would've said no, washed my hands of all of their nonsense, and dropped my phone in the nearest fire...I'd never have him. Zen and I wouldn't have met. And who knows where he would've ended up? His narcissism wouldn't be nearly as kept in check as it is now.

With the success of my first RFA party, Zen's popularity seemed to skyrocket. We did have a few famous people and some talent scouts and a modeling agency on the guest list. It was only natural for them to gravitate toward Zen. He was the only beautiful actor among us. I'm just glad his fame isn't going to his head. Even better, despite fangirls and actresses alike throwing their panties at him on a regular basis, I'm glad Zen didn't even think twice about keeping me by his side.

I don't think he could have left me if he tried. When I first walked into our first RFA party together, Jumin and Zen were getting into one of their legendary pissing contests. All I had to do was stand in the door and they both shut up. That's when Zen took me into his arms and never let me go. And I couldn't be prouder of the man he had become.

Instead of becoming an even bigger narcissist, Zen made a vow to use his celebrity for good. There was a local theatre on the verge of falling apart. They lost most of their boosters and their attendance was sketchy. For their final show before closing their doors for good, a local director had decided to put on a production of Romeo and Juliet. A perfect ending to the theatre's tragedy...or so he thought.

It wasn't until my hopeless romantic boyfriend heeded the casting call that the theatre started getting some buzz again. Along with a handsome donation from an anonymous source (It may or may not have been from the RFA.). Given that someone as popular as Zen auditioned for (and, to no one's surprise, landed) the part of Romeo, logic would suggest people are going to talk.

The only suck part about Zen taking the part of Romeo was that he'd be gone so much. When he gets home, he's always so drained. But I know deep down, it's what makes Zen happy. He wouldn't trade any of it for the world. However, when he came home late tonight, something was different. Zen was his usual exhausted, but there was something not right.

I grabbed a beer out of the fridge and joined him as he sprawled out on the couch, "Hard day at the office, baby?"

"I wouldn't say a hard day at the office," Zen laid his head on my shoulder, taking long, slow drinks, "The girl playing Juliet slipped on some oil and fell down a flight of stairs. Her leg's broken in three places, so in short, we're screwed. Can't really have Romeo and Juliet without Juliet."

"I don't know," I rubbed his shoulders, "Maybe you could spin it into a story of Romeo learning to love himself and not kill himself over a girl."

"I appreciate the input, MC," he sighed out, "But I don't think we can do a full script rewrite and have it down in a week. Besides, something about rewriting Shakespeare feels unholy."

"I'm so sorry," I held him a little tighter, "Doesn't she have an understudy or something?"

"We didn't think she'd need one." All of a sudden, Zen's gloomy disposition did a complete turnaround, "Hey! MC! You're a girl, right?"

"Last I checked."

"Since you're already my real-life Juliet," Zen thought, "What do you think about taking her place?"

"What?" I gasped, "Zen, I can't do that."

"Why not?" he got more and more excited, "You'd be perfect!"

"I'm not an actress," I pointed out, "Why don't you get one of them?"

"Where are we going to find one on such short notice?" Zen begged, "Come on, MC. I don't want to get another actress. There's no one who could counterbalance my Romeo better than you as my Juliet. Please..."

"You're delirious," I diverted his attention, "We should go to bed."

"So, you'll sleep on it?" he crossed his fingers, "I understand. You want to think it through for a bit. You'll tell me in the morning, though, right?"

"Come on, Zen," I helped him up.

"Are you going to do it?"

"We'll see."

"It's not a no!" Zen kissed my cheek, "I'll talk to the director in the morning and see what he has to say about it."

"You do that," I brought him to our bed and immediately, he wrapped his arms around me like I was his teddy bear.

"I love you, MC," he whispered in my ear.

"I love you, too," I curled into him, "But I still need to think about the whole Juliet thing. Anything you say isn't going to influence my decision."

"If you say yes," Zen bargained, "I'll quit smoking."

"You quit smoking when I moved in," I reminded him. That was my ultimatum to him. If he could go three months without a cigarette, I'd move in with him, "Although, I applaud your efforts."

"If you say yes," he thought it over for a minute, "I'll quit drinking."

"No," I grumbled, "Because that would mean I have to go back to drinking with Jaehee and as much as I love her to death, she gets weird when she's drunk. And I don't want to go back to drinking with Jumin. He cries...I can't handle that."

I loved being a part of the RFA, but when some of them get alcohol in their bodies, it's a nightmare. The last time I drank with Jumin, he bawled in my shoulder and went on for an hour about how he didn't want to become his father, but feared that was the path he was headed down. Jaehee whined about Jumin, but in the next breath, she'd be following a butterfly. Seven and V didn't drink, but that didn't mean Seven wouldn't trick Yoosung into it. One sip of rosé and Yoosung woke up in Guatemala with a man named Lupe and nobody knew how he got there or why he was there in the first place. Jumin had to wire him some money to get him home.

"If you say yes," Zen didn't know when to let up. Some may say it'd be exhausting. I find it charming, "I'll..."

"Zen," I put my hand over his mouth, "You're spiraling, honey. I'm tired. You're tired rambling. Go to sleep."

"Fine," he murmured through my fingers, giving them a little kiss, "Good night, babe. I love you."

"Love you, too," I made myself comfortable and fell asleep in the arms of the man I loved. When I woke up the next morning, Zen had gotten up before me. He usually did, though. Zen had to be to rehearsal at six o'clock. I rolled over and checked my phone. Shortly after nine…And a text from Zen saying he'd talk to the director when they get a break about me taking Juliet's place.

I still wasn't sure if I even wanted to do it. God, I need something to even me out. I pulled myself together, took a quick shower, and went down the street to a light and airy tearoom that I've come to love since living here. I loved this place. It felt very much like something out of a fairytale. I liked to come here when I was overly stressed. This tearoom put me in a good place.

"Excuse me," a little girl (I say little, but she probably wasn't much younger than me. The pastel purple and white dress she wore made her look like she was four.) came up to me, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I nodded, stirring my jasmine tea, "I'm fine. Thank you."

"I can't bear to see you sit by yourself," she sat with me, "Are you waiting for someone?"

"No," I said, "It's just me. Hi, Seven."

"Dammit, MC!" Seven giggled, "How'd you know it was me?"

"Because I've seen your dresses," I reminded him, "And out of all of them, that one's a favorite."

"You look out of sorts, though, MC," he worried.

"Then, put your glasses on, dum-dum," I rolled my eyes.

"Ah!" Seven took his glasses out of his bag and put them back on like a drama queen, "There! Now, you're in focus!"

"You're such a dork, Seven," I sighed out, taking a slow sip of my tea.

"Really, though, MC," he asked, "What's up?"

"Zen gave me a bit of a proposal," I told him, "And…"

"Zen proposed?!" Seven gave an overexaggerated gasp, "Without asking my permission?! As your father, I'm very disappointed! I cannot give my blessing to such a union!"

"No, you idiot!" I shut him up before he got the attention of the entire café, "Not that kind of proposal! Look, you know how Zen's doing Romeo and Juliet to save the theatre from shutting down?"

"Yep," he chirped, "Romeo and Juliet. Two kids killing themselves in the name of love. Heartwarming story, isn't it?"

"Well," I went on, "The girl playing Juliet broke her leg and Zen wants me to take her place."

"Do it!" Seven insisted.

"Why?" I whined, "You sound like Zen. He's already talking to the director by now."

"You don't know," he shrugged, "It could be fun. Have you ever done theatre before?"

"No."

"Think about it," Seven put things into perspective, "It could be fun. You get to work with Zen. You get to see him more."

"I don't know," I groaned, "I'm a little skeptical."

"JUST. DO IT!" he yelled at me.

"Alright," I stopped him, "Settle down, Shia."

"I'm just saying," Seven defended, "You should. Who knows? You might actually like it. What's got you so apprehensive?"

"I don't want to end up screwing up," I confessed, "If I screw up, that could reflect badly on Zen, too. And I don't want to screw up his career."

"Think about it this way then," he went on, "Zen's putting his career on the line for you. Because he has some sort of faith in you. Maybe he sees something that you don't. And you know how he is. In his mind, this risk he's taking for you is entirely worth it."

"We'll see, I guess." I hated when Seven had his moments of lucidity between the ones of insanity. He was always full of insight that made me feel stupid. But he had a point. Zen loved two things in this world; his career and me. If he can combine the two, there's no way he'd lose.

Ring, ring!

"Speak of the devil?" Seven assumed.

I grabbed my phone out of my bag and slid my finger across the screen, "Hey, baby."

"Hey," Zen chirped on the other end, "What are you up to?"

"Having tea," I reported, "Why? What's up?"

"How quick can you get to the theatre?" he wondered.

"Hi, Zen!" Seven squeaked, "Tell Zen that Seven says hi!"

"Probably ten minutes," I figured, "Why?"

"The director wants us to do a chemistry test," Zen said, "If we do well, you're in."

"Ok," I nodded, "I'll be there shortly."

"Seven says hi!" Seven butted in again.

"Awesome!" I could guarantee that Zen had a smile on his face right now, "I'll see you soon."

"Seven says hi, MC!"

"See you soon," I couldn't hold one back either if I tried.

"I love you, babe."

"I love you, too."

"SEVEN SAYS HI!"

"Are we ignoring him, MC?" Zen asked.

"Yes," I giggled, "On my way."

"See you then!"

Click.

"Aww…" Seven whined, "I told you to tell him I said hi…"

"I have to go," I finished my tea and got up from my table, "I'll keep you posted, Seven."

"But MC…"

"See you later, Seven!"

"Make your dreams come true, MC!" Seven went back to yelling at me again.

"Dead memes are dead for a reason!" And just like that, I left the tearoom and headed to a no-nothing theatre in the middle of town. Even though it was just barely on this side of rundown, this theatre had a certain charm to it. Like an old-world kind of thing.

"Hey there, cutie pie," a familiar voice called for me, taking me into his arms.

"Hi," I blushed immediately, "Zen, let me go."

"You're perfect!" the director caught sight of me.

"Isn't she, though?" Zen kissed my cheek.

"Zen…" I whined, "Not in front of the director…"

"You're in," he decided, "No chemistry test needed. You two are perfect with each other. Zen, where did you find this friend of yours?"

"That's a long story," Zen cradled me against his chest, "But she's my girlfriend. And I love her so much."

"Can you know your lines in a week?" the director asked.

"If I try hard enough," I assumed, "Probably. I've planned extravagant parties in less time."

"Yay!" Zen spun me around, "I knew you'd love her! I can't wait to start rehearsals with you."

"Zen," the director took a more serious tone, "You're going to have to help her with her lines. She doesn't seem like she's too experienced."

"I can help her," he promised, shooting a wink at me.

Why did I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach? If I knew then what I knew now, I would've walked out of the theatre and told them to find a new Juliet. Because there would be no way in hell I'd go through a solid week of boot camp again. Usually, when Zen woke up and got ready for rehearsal, it'd be five o'clock and I'd be sleeping like a baby. However, since I was dragged into this, too, I'd be getting up at the crack of dawn, too. For a solid week, we'd wake up together, go to rehearsal together, go to the gym together, come home together, run lines together, and sleep. I never went to the gym or woke up early! I stayed home and planned RFA parties.

Don't get me wrong. I was loving all this time being spent with Zen again. I missed him terribly. But this? This sucked! I ached every single day for a week straight! Once this is all over, Zen's going to owe me a nice, lengthy massage. He'd make my body feel like jelly every time, so I knew he knew what he was doing. But that wasn't even the worst of it! Then, there was the rehearsals and the director yelling at me and the million and one different costume fittings I had to go through and the makeup tests. I'm surprised my skin didn't break out horribly in protest. I'd go through a full makeover every time I'd walk through the doors. With the charitable donation the theatre received, (which I was going to have to have a word with the RFA treasurer/my favorite little trust fund kid about that) the director decided to splurge and get professionals. How Zen managed to put up with this kind of attention every day will forever baffle me. All I knew was that I wanted off this ride.

Opening night was finally upon us at the end of the week. Thank God. I don't know how much of this I'd be able to handle. The things I do for you, Zen. The things I do for you. Although, I must admit, there were a few parts that were kind of fun. Like being in the middle of a tragic scene and my asshole scene partner making me giggle much to the dismay of the director. Pairing Zen and me up on a project like this might not have been a good idea.

The director had something about Zen and me seeing each other in costume, so he could get the full effect of us seeing each other for the first time. So, instead of going to see him, I called him instead. I needed something to mellow me out. And if anyone had that kind of effect on me, it'd be Zen.

"Hello?" Zen answered.

"Hey," I sat on the floor of my dressing room, my hoopskirt collapsing on itself under me, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, MC," he allowed, "What's up?"

"How many shows do we have?"

"Three."

"Zen," I groaned, "I'm so tired."

"I know, sweetie," he sympathized, "I know it's hard, but I know you'll do great. You've put in a lot of work in this past week. You can do it."

"Thanks, baby," I melted, "I needed that."

"I'd say break a leg," Zen joked darkly, "But given what happened to the last Juliet, I'll just say good luck."

"You, too," I giggled, "Shall we?"

"Let's."

And so, our show began. Two families hate each other. Two babies love each other, but their parents can't remove their heads from their ass. Zen and I took a ballroom dance class for this one part and I learned I had a natural talent for it. But the sparkle in Zen's eyes…This was different than I've ever seen before. Maybe because of the fact I looked like something out of a storybook. But he's never looked at me this way since the first RFA party. Completely forgetting there were people watching us, I laid my head on his chest, heavily swooning.

But then, we had to be separated. Damn the fact we were on opposite sides. Although, the glint in Zen's eye never left. The sparkle was making me weak. It's no wonder Zen was getting steady work these days. However, I knew damn well that sparkle wasn't him acting. Zen genuinely loved me. And I loved him. If that glint wasn't enough proof, our death scene would…

If I didn't know any better, when I was supposed to be dead, I felt a very real tear drop on my cheek. But then, the curtain fell. And I curled into my boyfriend's chest, "Zen? Are you ok?"

"Yeah," his voice broke, "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" I ran my thumb under his eye.

"I'm sorry," Zen let out a heavy sigh and held me tight, "I guess I got a little into it, didn't I? Something just hit me. I don't know how I'd ever deal with your actual death if it ever happened. I love you, MC. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," I gave him a soft, gentle kiss while the crowd roared on the other side of the curtain, "One show down, two to go."

After we took our bows and I got out of this god awfully hot dress, Zen and I stood outside, letting the cool, night air hit our faces, "We did awesome tonight, babe. I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of us," I laid my head on his shoulder, completely drained. At least we won't have to do rehearsals in the morning. I just hoped to God he wasn't taking me to the gym again tomorrow morning.

"You know," Zen kissed the top of my head, "We got invited to a cast party tonight. You want to go?"

"No freaking way," I put my foot down, "Zen, I'm exhausted. I need to decompress and go to bed."

"I understand," he nodded, "Let's at least go get a drink. Please?"

"Alright," I allowed, "A little bit of celebration. One drink and we're going home."

"That's my girl…"

 **A/N: I'm SO SO SO SO SO SO SO sorry this is up so late. I kind of had a little bit of a mental breakdown today, so that had me down and out for a while. And everything gets me sidetracked, so here we are. Honestly, though, I like the way this worked. It's very cute and very fluffy and I love it. And I kind of want to write an extra with Yoosung and the Guatemala incident. So! As usual, who do we do next? We've got Yoosung down, we got Zen down, and we got Jumin down. Who do we do next? Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to outline tomorrow's chapter for FictionPress. See you next chapter! xx**


	7. Jaehee Kang: Bad Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! Since we did Zen's route last week (and I didn't hear ANYONE say who they wanted this week. I'm mildly disappointed), I figured it'd be really nice if this week…The QUEEN of Mystic Messenger. Actual babysitter of Jumin Han. Most underappreciated goddess to ever walk this earth. I now pronounce you gal and pal. This week, we're going with JAEHEE! Yay! In case you're new here or you haven't been paying attention, we're kicking things off with the bad route and I'm feeling kind of bad about this one. Because we all know Jaehee deserves better. I didn't want to put her through anything bad, yet here we are. I'm going to jump down to the bottom and I'll see you there, won't I?**

It must have been the fourth time Jaehee and I have watched the Promiscuous Jalapeño Topping since we started living together. I didn't mind, though. My best friend, our beautiful friend on a small screen. Life was fantastic. Just like Zen in this musical. Ever since I moved in and Jaehee quit working for Jumin, the world seemed to fall into place. I never saw her so happy. Then again, Jaehee's new boss was a delight. Or was I being biased?

"That never gets old, does it?" Jaehee took our popcorn bowl into the kitchen.

"The writing might be terrible," I agreed, "But Zen makes up for it. He's perfect."

"He's far from perfect," she chuckled a bit, "But he's definitely talented. That's for sure."

"You know, Jaehee," I thought for a moment or two, "You've been hanging around Zen a lot lately."

"Since I'm not working for Mr. Han anymore," Jaehee got a bit flustered, "I had to occupy myself somehow. Not that helping you plan RFA parties hasn't been fun."

"You're welcome," I smiled. Since Jaehee started working for me, we've been able to host parties so much more often and the organization can only do that much more good for the world.

"I suppose I have been spending a lot of time with Zen," she blushed.

"So?" I pried like any good roommate would do, "What's going on with you two?"

"What do you mean?" the red in Jaehee's cheeks only deepened, "There's nothing going on!"

"Uh-huh..." I smirked, "Why do I not believe you?"

"Because you have trust issues?"

"Jaehee," I sat her down, "You're my best friend and my roommate. I know when you're hiding something. Lest we forget your voodoo doll of Elizabeth 3rd."

"Well..." she bit her lip, "Zen has always been so kind to me...And he's so beautiful. My god!"

Immediately, Jaehee caught herself, pursing her lips together. While I sat back with an evil grin on my face, "And there's nothing going on?"

"Excuse me," Jaehee cleared her throat, "I'm sorry. I got a little carried away. You know how he is, though. Zen makes it impossible not to fall for him. So, yes. To answer your question, MC, I am a little interested. Don't tell anyone. I'm a bit embarrassed."

"Why?"

"It's not appropriate," she whined, "He's an RFA member. He's a celebrity. He doesn't need me holding him back. The press would use me as a poison to Zen's career and I can't do that to him."

Jaehee was right. There was no denying that Zen was a gorgeous creature. Zen would be the first to tell anyone that. And a lot of women projected their fantasies on him. I couldn't blame them. Would the press use Jaehee to get to Zen if they were in a relationship, though? And I wouldn't want my best friend getting hurt like that. Either one of them. So, I'm going to have to take matters into my own hands.

I'm sorry, Jaehee, but there's no way in hell I'm letting you get to Zen.

The following morning, I started getting ready to go over to Rika's apartment to get some work done. However, I looked into the other bedroom and saw Jaehee buried in her closet, looking for something she wouldn't have worn while she was working for Jumin. Naturally, it got me curious.

"Hey," I stuck my head in her door, "What are you doing?"

"I got a text from Zen," she skimmed, "He asked me if I was busy and if I'd go to brunch with him."

"Because," I said, "I got a massive flood of emails last night of people asking about the upcoming RFA party and my inbox is overflowing. There's no way I'm going to be able to get through them all myself. I'm going to need your help."

"Oh," Jaehee stopped, "But I have a date with..."

"Please, Jaehee," I begged, "You're the only other person with that kind of access. It's either that or I have to deal with Seven again and you remember how that went last time."

"Oh, God," she recalled in sheer horror, "Every cat from every internet meme was there. Zen wanted to die, but Mr. Han wouldn't stop taking pictures and laughing hysterically. I've never seen him so sadistically happy."

"Please?" I threw myself on her bed, "Please come help me?"

"Ok..." Jaehee could never turn down work. No matter how hard she tried, this woman was married to her profession, "But what about my plans with Zen?"

"You'll see him at the next RFA party," I assured her, "And you can always reschedule, right?"

"I guess so..." she shot Zen a text, canceling their brunch plans, "Let's go. We shouldn't be wasting anymore time."

I loved having Jaehee as my assistant. Everything got done so quickly and so efficiently. Working for Jumin pounded that into her. And she couldn't say no. Even if it meant canceling plans with Zen. The two of us sat in Rika's apartment going through all the emails of people wanting in on the upcoming RFA party. As Jaehee was wrist deep in all of them, I managed to sneak out of the apartment under the guise of a coffee run.

"Hey, MC!" And guess who I just happen to run into?

"Hi, Zen," I beamed, throwing myself into his embrace.

"What brings you here?" he asked, "I thought you and Jaehee were sorting out your emails."

"I was," I nodded, "But she said she'd do everything herself. Jaehee gets a system and may God have mercy on whoever ruins it. I thought I'd just get out of her hair."

"That was nice of her," Zen smiled, lighting my world up, "You know, I really thought Jaehee was starting to lighten up and becoming more mellowed out since she split from Jumin."

"I know," I empathized emptily, "Such a shame. Still such the workaholic."

"I'm worried about her," he let out a little sigh, "There can only be one extreme workaholic in our relationship, if that's what this leads to."

"Zen," I wondered, "Are you interested in Jaehee?"

"I don't want to see her miserable," Zen confessed, "You think we could talk more?"

"Sure," I took his hand, "If you need to vent, I'll be more than happy to listen."

"Why don't you get us a table?" he insisted, "Dirty chai latte, right?"

"Yeah," I can't believe he remembered my order. We've only done this a couple times.

I grabbed a table in the upper level of the cafe and waited for Zen to come back. This was going more perfect than I anticipated. Although, the texts from Jaehee were to be expected. She could handle a heavy work load by herself. I mean, she did when she worked for Jumin on a regular basis. I don't see why she couldn't now. Zen came upstairs and put my latte in front of me. Bless him.

"Thanks, MC," Zen sat down, "It'll be nice to have a friendly ear to vent to."

"Anytime," I let my hot latte burn the inside of my mouth and down to my toes.

"I don't know, though," he stared into his cup, "I want to be able to work enough for the both of us. After she had to deal with Jumin for so long, Jaehee more than deserves a break."

"I couldn't agree more." Little did he know, her new boss was working her harder than her old one. Jaehee thought Jumin was bad? At least Jumin didn't have a bit of a jealousy complex. He knew who he loved and no one (other than Seven) was trying to take her away from him. Jaehee hated her, Zen was allergic, and Yoosung was a neutral party.

"You've lived with her for a while, MC," Zen pointed out, "I would've thought she'd pick up some of your traits, too. Sometimes, I wish Jaehee was more like you."

"Aww," I gushed, "Zen, I'm flattered."

"Really, though," he went on, "You can balance party planning for the RFA and still manage to have a social life. It seems like nothing ever stresses you out."

"I get stressed, too," I giggled, "But the key is to know when to let shit go. Most of the time, it can get dropped immediately."

"See?" Zen popped me in the shoulder, "That's what I wish Jaehee would wrap her head around. It'd take so much off her mind and she could drop some of the weight of the world on her shoulders. She's not working for Jumin anymore. She can lose that mentality."

"I guess she's just set in her ways." Or there's a new Jumin in town.

"Kind of sad, really." Seeing Zen depressed wasn't exactly one of my favorite things, but his frown didn't last very long, "We really should do this more often, MC."

"We should," I beamed.

And we did. A few times a week for the next month was nothing but Zen and me talking, hanging out, late nights, earlier mornings. I could see why Jaehee would be into him. She was too buried in work to even think about going out with Zen. They'd still text once in a great while, but not as often as what they used to. Gee. I wonder why that was. Maybe Zen found someone else.

When I got home one night after spending a day with Zen, I found Jaehee passed out on the couch in front of her laptop. I still had twenty emails that had gone unresponsive. I really thought she was better than that. Early the next morning, I woke up to my roommate scrambling to pull herself together, spewing angry obscenities.

"Morning," I came out in my jammies, fist in my eye, "What's got you all spastic?"

"I've been planning the next RFA party practically by myself," Jaehee panicked, "And you, party coordinator, have been nowhere to be found."

"I'm sorry, Jaehee," I apologized, "Why don't I go get us some coffee and we'll go to Rika's?"

"Thanks, MC," a smile returned to her face, "I'm stretching myself a bit too thin. Sleep helped. I wasn't thinking straight."

"No problem."

I got dressed and looked down at my phone. And a text from Zen lit up my screen:

 _Meet me at the café?_

 _-Z_

Awesome.

 _Definitely. Be there soon._

 _-MC_

Coffee for my best friend and my assistant AND I get to see Zen? It's going to be a good day. I slipped a pair of flats on my feet and headed out. Cold brew? Cold brew sounds like a really good idea. It'll be a nice break from my usual latte. And finding Zen there once I got there only made it all the better. Although, I might be the only person crazy enough to drink cold brew after walking in the rain.

"Hi there," he sat with me.

"Hi," I lit up, "I'm starting to think you're stalking me, Zen."

"I'm not stalking you," Zen promised, giggling to himself, "What are you doing, going out in the rain? We wouldn't want you getting sick, would we?"

"I'm fine," I promised, "I'll live. You seem off, Zen. Are you ok?"

"I'm worried," he confessed, "I haven't heard from Jaehee much. I'm worried about her. What if she works herself too hard? She could collapse, MC! I don't want that to happen!"

"I understand," I settled him, "But she's fine. I just saw her twenty minutes ago, Zen. I live with her. Jaehee is fine. She's just super swamped."

"Thanks, MC," Zen let out a heavy sigh, "You get me better than anyone I know. I like you."

"I like you, too," I took his hand. Was this a confession? Zen and I have been spending quite a bit of time together. And we were getting a lot closer with every passing day. And he tends to blush a lot around me. And me around him. Maybe Zen and I were meant to be. It's not like Jaehee took the time to worry about Zen. So, why was he so concerned with her?

As I was walking home, my head swam with thoughts of Zen and me. We would make a cute couple. I must admit that. Not to mention, he wouldn't hesitate to share his spotlight with me. There'd be a lot of perks coming along with being his girlfriend. That's a life I wouldn't mind living. However, one thing managed to get me out of my head for half a second.

A soft mew coming from a soaking wet box in an alleyway. A sweet, gray bundle of joy shook, cold from the rain. Oh, baby…I can't leave you here, can I? I don't care how much my roommate detests your kind. You're coming home with me. And I shall call you Mr. Wickham. He's stolen my heart already. What could I say? I'm a sucker for a stray. I held Mr. Wickham in my pocket, giving him a warm, dry place to nap until we got back.

"Jaehee," I pushed the door open, taking Mr. Wickham out, "I'm home."

"MC," Jaehee froze, getting an eyeful of our newest addition, "What the hell is that?"

"This," I held the kitten up, "is Mr. Wickham. I found him in a box in the alley. I couldn't leave him there. He was cold and probably hungry. Aren't you, Mr. Wickham?"

"Mr. Wickham?" she gave me a look, alternating between me and the little ball of fluff in my hands, "Reading Pride and Prejudice lately?"

"Nope," I snuggled him tight, "He's going to stay here for now."

"But…" Jaehee wanted to protest. I could see it in her eyes. She already hated him. But he was so damn cute. No one could hate him for long, "Ok…"

"Is the work I gave you done yet?" I asked, "The party's next week."

"I'm sorry, MC," she sighed, taking her espresso from me, "But I'm working on it!"

"Awesome!" I beamed, snuggling my new, fluffy baby, "Thank you, Jaehee! You're the best! Love you!"

For the next few days, Jaehee and I divvied up the duties. She took care of the venue and the caterer and the DJ while I finished up the emails she had yet to touch. I thought she had gotten a decent start on these. Oh well. It's not like we had a party coming up soon or anything. This is fine. I can take care of it myself. It's not like I hired Jaehee out of the goodness of my heart after what happened with Jumin to help me or anything. Honest to God…

The day before the party, I was completely wiped out. It'd be nice if I had an assistant or something like that. Oh, wait…I do. At least I thought I did. Regardless, I snuck out for coffee with Zen yet again (but I made sure I took a lint roller to my shirt, so Mr. Wickham's fur wouldn't trigger his allergy) because I deserved it! I earned my latte today. All I wanted was a day of calm before I got to see everyone again and make sure my party went off without a hitch. And who better to mellow me out?

"Hey, MC," Zen played shy today. Huh…That's not my Zen, "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," I allowed, "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Sweetie?" he turned bright red, "That was so cute!"

"Settle down, Zen," I smiled, "What did you want to ask me?"

"I was wondering," Zen regained his composure, "Since we've been spending a whole lot of time together lately...Do you think I could be your escort to the party tomorrow?"

"Me?" Like I didn't see that one coming, "I don't know."

"I was going to ask Jaehee," he went on, "But it looks like she doesn't want anything to do with me anymore."

"Of course I will," I steadied his shaky hands, "I wasn't lying when I said I liked you, Zen. You and I are kindred spirits. And I'd be more than happy to let you be the workaholic between us. Just make sure you make a little bit of time for us, ok?"

"Ok!" Zen grinned, "How did I get so lucky to be close with you, MC?"

"I don't know," I giggled, "Maybe it's not just luck. Maybe it's a little bit of fate, too. Destiny wanted us to be together, Zen. That's why destiny led me to the RFA in the first place. It knew that we were meant to be."

"MC," he clutched his chest, "That was beautiful."

"What can I say?" I shrugged, "If I wasn't a party planner, I would've been a writer."

The party was going to sneak up on all of us, though. Jaehee and I pulled an all-nighter trying to get everything in order. But we got there. And now, it was time for us to get to the venue. Some high-class hotel Jaehee would book for if and when Jumin ever decided to host parties on his own. Because if it didn't scream pretentious, it wasn't good enough for Jumin.

"Finally," Jaehee heaved a heavy sigh of relief, "We finally get a day off."

"Amen, sister," I tipped my drink to her.

"And I get to see Zen again," a little smile graced her face, "I missed him."

"Hey!" Speak of the devil.

"Zen!" Jaehee got a little more excited. However, her joy was very short lived.

"Hey, MC," Zen threw his arms around me, kissing my cheek, "I missed you! It feels like I haven't seen you in ages, but I know we just saw each other yesterday."

"What…?" Jaehee's heart shattered in her eyes, "MC, can I see you for a minute?"

"Sure," I followed her outside, "What is it?"

"What are you doing?" she glared a hole through me, "And with Zen, no less!"

"What do you mean?" I played innocent.

"You knew I wanted to be with him!" Jaehee snapped, "Yet, here you two are, flirting right in front of me, being all cute and couple-y? What the hell?!"

"Hey," I brushed her off, heading back inside, "You snooze, you lose, sister. Zen's made his choice. You're just pissed it wasn't you. Shouldn't have worried so much about working, Jaehee. He only wanted to spend a little time with you, but you were always too busy."

And there I left her. Outside to weep in my dust.

 **A/N: I always feel bad about being a dick to Jaehee. She deserves better. So I'm going to give her better next week instead of MC being Mr. Steal Yo Girl about Zen. I knew a bad ending was either going to involve Jumin or Zen and I thought a little bit of a love triangle would be perfect. And here we are. Also, did you catch why Mr. Wickham's name is Mr. Wickham? A little bit of clever foreshadowing on my part. I'll explain to you because I don't want to be the only one in on the joke. In Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Wickham was trying to get with Mr. Darcy's sister and trying to seduce some of the Bennet girls as well, if I remember correctly. It's a smart joke and I liked it! Anyway, see you next chapter! xx**


	8. Jaehee Kang: Good Route

**A/N: Hi there, you cutie pie! So, this is going to be one of those things that just happen. I had a lovely little angel by the username of! *goes back to look* Mercedes1312 who requested a romantic relationship with Jaehee. Oh, buddy. Ask and ye shall receive. Because it appears we'll get a V route before we'll get a romantic route with Jaehee. So, here. This is going to be a bit of a ride. And some struggle. A little heartache. A little sadness. But we'll be alright. Pinky promise. Are you ready? Because I'm ready.**

"Jaehee Kang," I got down on one knee atop our apartment building. We had some of the best views in the whole city and I've seen the view from Jumin's penthouse at night. I couldn't think of any better place to be or anyone better to be with than right here and right now with her. And only to ask one simple question, "Will you marry me?"

Jaehee and I had been together for nearly three years now. Half of that we've spent living together. Despite her mild disdain for her boss, she still worked for Jumin while I planned RFA parties (and occasionally babysat Elizabeth 3rd). Life together was perfect. This was the next logical step. Sure, convincing Jaehee that she was in love with me was like pulling teeth, but once we got there, we've been together ever since.

I could see it all over her face, though. My proposal may have caught her off guard, "MC...This is so sudden."

"Think about it" I held her hands, "I love you, Jaehee. More than anything. You're my entire world."

"I love you too," Jaehee shook, "But MC...This is such a big decision. I mean, it's the rest of our lives."

"If you need some time to think it through," I allowed, "I completely understand."

If I didn't get how my girlfriend's brain worked by now, I'd be screwed. Jaehee got down to my level and threw her arms around me, "Thank you, MC. I don't think I could've given you an answer quite yet."

"I'll let you sleep on it," I kissed her forehead softly, doing my best to calm her down, "But tomorrow morning, I want an answer. There is no wrong one."

"And you'll still love me?" she worried, "No matter my answer?"

"Of course," I promised, "Jaehee, you are the best thing that could've happened to me since I joined the RFA."

"I'm sure better things could've..."

"Jaehee," I had to stop her once in a while. A lovely side effect from working for Jumin. She never thought she was good enough to be anything more than help. And I thought we broke through that barrier a long time ago.

"Sorry," she bit her lip, "Tomorrow morning, then?"

"Tomorrow morning," I pulled her back onto her feet. That was my girl, though. Always the careful thinker. The analytical type. Sometimes to a fault. But I, for one, found her attention to detail rather adorable. But that's just me. I'm sure Jumin appreciates it, too, but for an entirely different reason.

When Jaehee and I crawled into bed that night, a million and one different things went through my mind and all at once. Did we just get engaged? Were we going to get engaged? And if she says no tomorrow, do I have a contingency plan for that? Do we break up after that? Because I didn't want to leave her. I definitely didn't want her to leave me.

The next morning, I woke up late and to an empty bed. Jaehee must have left for work already. I also had a big ball of white fluff laying on my couch. Looks like I'm watching Elizabeth for the day, too. That sounds like fun. I wasn't going to take the day off or anything. That's ok, though. Elizabeth usually behaved herself like aristocracy anyway. Jumin wouldn't have raised her to be any other way.

I was talking about a cat. This was a cat. A cat lived a more upscale life than I did. What has this world come to? More likely, which mental institution would we put Jumin in if he suggests that Jaehee and my potential wedding need be a double ring with him and Elizabeth. If I wasn't going to play with any RFA party planning today, I guess I could curl up with the cat and log in some hours with the Netflix account.

Ring, ring!

I can take a day off from RFA business, but the RFA can't take a day off from me, "Hello?"

"Hiya, MC!" my second best friend chimed, "What are you up to today?"

"Nothing too exciting," I was under contract to specifically keep my mouth shut when I was watching Elizabeth. And he was the sole reason why.

"Boring!" Seven whined, "I just finished work and I want to go do something fun!"

"Then, go screw with Yoosung," I knew I was enabling him, but occasionally, when Seven was picking on Yoosung, it sparked something in him to actually be motivated. Tough love, I guess? "I'm not feeling like leaving the apartment today."

"Maybe I should come over," he suggested, "You sound sad."

"No," I stopped him. I knew that if I let Seven come over, he'd torture the cat and Jumin would kill me personally. I would prefer life, "I'm fine, Seven. Really. Just a little tired."

"MC," Seven took a more serious tone with me, "I know what it means to be just a little tired. You should know better. What's going on?"

"If I tell you," I surrendered, "Do you promise not to freak on me?"

"No promises."

He promised.

"Ok," I let out a heavy sigh of defeat, "I proposed to Jaehee last night."

"Finally!" Seven praised, "I was waiting for when one of you would. What'd she say?"

"Nothing," my voice shook, "I know Jaehee's making her pros and cons chart in her head and thinking it through, but waiting for an answer is absolutely maddening. I thought it was supposed to be an instinct thing. Like a gut reaction. This is the person I love asking me if they can spend the rest of their life with me and no one else. How can I say no to that? But she hasn't said a word."

"What about this morning?"

"I was still asleep when she left for work," I went on.

"Ouch," Seven winced, "Maybe she's avoiding you."

"Not helping," I balled up on the couch.

"Whatever you do," he advised, "Don't make her feel pressured. That's a Jumin thing to do. You're her escape from that."

"I just want us to be together," I ran my hand down Elizabeth's back, only for her to spin around and claw the hell out of my arm, "Ow! Dammit!"

"What'd you do?" Seven worried.

"A blood sacrifice to the feline gods," I winced, "Courtesy of my arm."

"When did you and Jaehee get a cat?" he wondered, "Can I come play with it?!"

"No!" I shot him down, getting up for some bandages, "I've seen how you've been with Elizabeth. Besides, it's not my cat. I'm watching her for a friend of mine."

"Would that friend be Jumin Han?"

"No," I rolled my eyes. This boy was hopeless.

"Do you have my Elly?!"

"NO!" I loved Seven. I really did. But sometimes, strangling him sounded like a good idea, "She's the old man that lives next door's cat. He had a doctor's appointment today out of town and didn't want to leave her by herself, so he asked me if I'd take care of her."

"So, I can't come and play with her?"

"NO!" Did that mean something else? Did I need to get him a translator? Pretty sure no meant no. There was no other definition.

"But..."

"Seven," I scolded, "You. Are not. Coming near. My neighbor's cat."

"You're no fun," he pouted, "I just got a call! I have to go."

"Godspeed, 707," I wished, "Defend justice from the shadows."

"Will do!" Seven squeaked, "And don't worry about Jaehee. She's just being overanalytical as usual."

"Thank you." He really could be a help some days.

"God Seven Zero Seven, over and out!"

Click!

And then...He could be that. Seven was always a mystery to me, sometimes to the detriment of the others, but somehow, we managed to click. After Jaehee, Seven was my best friend and I wouldn't trade him for the world. I never wanted to see his smile go away. But I also knew some things that would make his smile go away.

Speaking of lights in my life, my possible future fiancée should be on her lunch break by now. Maybe I should go pay her a visit. And since Jumin left the special backpack with the window in it for Elizabeth, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see her again. That is, if he's even there. I think I heard Jaehee muttering something about an upcoming business trip he has in her sleep last night.

I put the furry demon in her carrier and started toward the C&R building. When Jaehee and I got our apartment together, I told her we needed to get something halfway between her work and mine. Rika's apartment was a short walk for me and C&R was even shorter. It was ideal. I'd be lying if I said I never got stuck in the revolving door of the C&R building once or twice, but it'd piss off Elizabeth, so it made me feel a little better. In that petty kind of way.

"Mr. Han," a secretary brought me to Jumin's office. I didn't need much for identification except for the asshole in the backpack. That was like carrying a fast pass for Disneyland around here.

"What?" Jumin groaned, his head on his desk.

"There's a woman here to see you, sir."

"If it's not Assistant Kang," he demanded, "I don't want to hear it."

"Hi, Jumin," I put Elizabeth down in the chair next to me.

"Hi, MC," Jumin's secretary ran off, "What do you want?"

"I was wondering if you knew where Jaehee was," I unzipped the backpack and Satan jumped out to rub her face on his, "But it looks like she's avoiding you, too."

"She's not avoiding you," he assured, "Me, yes. I can understand that. I'm a little insufferable, but she's not avoiding you."

"I feel like I might have made a mistake," I sighed.

"Is this going to be one of those things that require empathy?" Jumin grumbled.

"Probably."

"Assistant Kang!" he called out.

"Uh…" I gave him a look, "Jumin, she's not here."

"I'm sorry, MC," Jumin dug around in his desk for a bottle of aspirin, "I can't help you with that."

"Can you just be the friendly ear to vent to?" I begged, "I could really use a friend right now."

"Alright," he allowed, popping two little blue tablets down his throat, "What is it?"

"I proposed to Jaehee last night," I confessed, "But she never gave me an answer."

"So that's what was bothering her," Jumin thought out loud, "She's been in her head all day. Any time I yell for her, it's like she's up in space."

"Yeah," I looked down at my feet, "She didn't give me an answer. I haven't heard anything from her all day. She was gone before I even woke up. And by the way, thank you for leaving Elizabeth on our doorstep."

"You're welcome. She enriches the life of anyone that's fortunate enough to meet her."

"Tone it back, Jumin."

"Sorry."

"Is she going to say no?" I worried.

"MC," Jumin ran his fingers down Elizabeth's spine, making her tail twitch, "You don't know that. She's thinking. You know she doesn't do snap decisions. Just give her some time. She'll come around again. It's not like she can avoid you forever. You live in the same apartment."

"I know."

"Then, you have nothing to worry about," he promised, "She'll be fine. And so will you. You're overthinking."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Han," a soft, familiar voice chimed, "I had some things to take care…of…"

"Hi, honey," I smiled, "I missed you."

"MC," Jaehee gasped, "What are you doing here?"

"Dropping the little monster off with her daddy," I said, showing off my arm, "And before you say she's an angel, Jumin, accept the fact that Elizabeth 3rd is a cat and most cats are assholes."

"How dare you?" Jumin took offense to that, clutching the ball of concentrated evil against his chest.

"She's right, sir," Jaehee took my side, "And she sheds…everywhere…"

"She does," I confirmed, "It takes months to get her hair out of everything."

"MC," Jumin quickly changed the subject, "Didn't you have business with Assistant Kang you wanted to discuss?"

"Oh, god…" Jaehee winced, "MC, how many people have you told about last night?"

"Just Jumin," I reported, "And maybe Seven."

"Tonight," she promised, "I'll give you an answer tonight."

"Ok," I laid my head in her shoulder, "I'll be waiting."

"Go home, ok?" Jaehee insisted, "It shouldn't be much longer."

"I will."

"Unless Mr. Han gets some crazy, harebrained business venture in his head," she whispered to me, "I'll be home as soon as possible."

"I love you," I stood on my toes, getting a kiss from my hopefully fiancée.

"I love you, too."

And just like that, Jaehee sent me out into the big, bad world again. I may have "forgotten" Elizabeth, though…A lint roller jumped into Jaehee's bag before I left, though. I'm not totally heartless. That night, the six o'clock mark hit. No Jaehee. Seven o'clock. No Jaehee. I order a pizza. Eight o'clock and my pizza's nearly gone, but still no Jaehee. I was starting to get worried, so I shot her a text.

 _I miss you._

 _-MC_

Eight-thirty, still no sign of my girlfriend. What the hell? Maybe a bath will help ease my mind. A bath and a cup of tea. That sounded nice. Warm the insides and the outsides. I brought my tablet into the bathroom and turned on the water. How about a quick check of the RFA chatroom? Maybe someone's on. Or not. Everyone's so quiet tonight…

An hour in the bathtub and Jaehee's still not home. I'm starting to think she ran off with someone else. I guess I'll just go to bed then. By myself. Ten o'clock and she's not home. We're going to have to have words later. But for now, sleep. Where the hell could she be? Jumin must have kept her late. Someone said the wrong thing to him and now, he's got an idea for a robot that will transport cats anywhere, so he can take long walks on the beach with Elizabeth and lock eyes with her.

Plop!

I felt a warm body press against mine, "Jaehee, for the love of God, tell me that's you and not Seven again."

"When did Luciel break in?" Jaehee groaned into my shoulder blade.

"Ages ago," I brushed it off, "What took you so long?"

"Mr. Han is possibly insane."

"I could've told you that."

"And by the way, MC," Jaehee pulled me to her chest, "About that thing you asked me last night."

"What about it?" Finally! The one thing I wanted to hear all day. It could be two letters, it could be three. I hope to all things holy it's three.

"You know I love you, right?" Uh-oh…

"Of course." Here it comes.

"I've thought about your proposal all day," she held me a little tighter, "Whether I should say yes or no. Whether it's the smartest decision for us right now. If we should even do it in the first place…"

"And?" I braced myself for impact.

Jaehee softly pressed her lips on my forehead, "Absolutely."

My heart stopped entirely, "You're saying yes?"

"Of course I'm saying yes," she hummed, half asleep, "Why wouldn't I? I love you, too, MC. And doing something like this without you seems wrong."

I did all I could to keep myself from crying, "I'd say let's celebrate, but you're in no shape to do that."

"Hell no," Jaehee cuddled me, "Hey, MC…"

"Yeah, honey…?"

"Since we are getting married," she mumbled, "There's something we may need to worry about?"

"What?"

"A few months ago," Jaehee confessed, "I may or may not have gotten a little drunk at the last RFA party."

"I remember that night," I giggled, "I never saw you get along with Seven so well."

"I may have made him a promise," she went on, "We were talking about you and if we were to ever get married."

"Yeah…?" my good feeling started to fade away.

"I might have promised him that he could officiate the wedding…"

"You know what?" I put my hand to her cheek, "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, let's go to sleep."

"Ok," I didn't have to tell her twice. Jaehee fell asleep shortly after.

I still couldn't believe it. I've always talked about people saying how they married their best friend. They weren't the only ones. Because I was going to. And there's no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with than the woman in my bed with me. The one who's overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, and often underestimated. Occasionally, a little scatterbrained, but all that mattered was somehow, I managed to land her. And for the rest of our lives, she was all mine.

 **A/N: And there we have it, kids. The end of Jaehee's route. As always, I'm going to ask you. Who's next? I had to pick Jaehee. It's your turn to pick, got it? Also, congratulations to MC and Jaehee on their wedding. I hope they're very happy together. See you next chapter! xx**


	9. Jumin Han: A Morning with Jumin

**A/N: Two in one day? Le gasp! I'll explain more at the end. Just…Here.**

"Good morning, gorgeous," Jumin kissed the top of my head. I was still a little fuzzy, but I curled into my boyfriend's chest.

"Good morning," I smiled, "Hey, Jumin..."

"Yes, sweetheart?" he twisted his fingers into my hair. Always a highlight of my mornings.

"Are you busy today?" I asked, "I feel like I haven't seen you in months. You work too hard."

"It has been a while since I had a day off," Jumin thought for a minute or two, "I guess a day off wouldn't kill me."

"Yay!" I squeaked, thrilled about the day to come.

"Anything you want," he allowed, "What did you have in mind?"

It was an extreme rarity when Jumin sincerely gave me control. Not that I minded all that much. Mr. Han knew what was best for me and I completely trusted his judgment. However, when he lets me hold the reins for a change, I feel like I need to take full advantage of that. Anything I wanted, huh...?

"Jumin," I hid a dirty grin from him, "When you say anything, do you really mean anything?"

"Honest to God, MC," he groaned, "You act as if I speak in riddles. If I didn't mean anything, why else would I have said anything?"

I liked where this was going. Jumin has made me do some rather disgusting things over the course of our relationship. I could use my free pass to get my vengeance. Or I could be really sadistic. If there's one thing Jumin Han can't stand, it's a surprise. We tried a surprise party for his birthday one year and he wouldn't speak to any of us for a week straight. He fell off the grid and went to Belize by himself.

"I got it," I got out of bed. Or at least I tried to.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?" Jumin held me down, "I don't remember telling you it was ok to get up."

"Forgive me, Mr. Han," I apologized, "What can I do to atone for this?"

"Answer one question," he decided, "Who do you love?"

"You, sir," I kissed his cheek.

"Are you just saying that, so I'll forgive you?"

"Of course not," I laid my head on his chest.

"Say it," Jumin ordered.

"I love you, Mr. Han."

"I love you, too, MC," he gave me one last kiss, "Now, go on. Get up. What are we doing today?"

"You'll see," I started toward the bathroom. Jumin's going to kill me. The one thing I wanted today? A little bit of normalcy. Not the champagne wishes that kept me in my caviar dreams, but the way the world was before I met Jumin.

"MC," Jumin scolded, "I don't know what to tell the driver if I don't know where we're going."

"Send him home," I stood on my toes in our closet, reaching for a box from days passed, "But still pay him for the day. He's got a family."

"How are we supposed to go anywhere?"

"We're two very capable individuals, Jumin," I dropped the box on the floor, making Elizabeth jump off the bed, "Well, I am anyway."

"I can drive just fine," Jumin argued, "I don't see why everyone gets so nervous when I'm behind the wheel."

"Because," i rolled my eyes, "You can't drive to save your life."

"I can, too."

"Seven's Lamborghini says otherwise," I pointed out, "You once went down the wrong way down a one way."

"Common mistake."

"Not when it's down a busy highway, Jumin!" I squeaked, "I still have nightmares about that!"

"So, you're driving?" he figured.

"You sure as hell aren't," I pulled a simple white dress out of the box. I wore this to my first RFA party. That seems like so long ago. When I met everyone...And I fell in love.

"Please, MC..." he begged, "Just tell me what we're doing."

"Wow, sir," I joined him on the bed, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were my sub."

And if that wasn't a blow to Mr. Han's ego. My stomach ended up on Jumin's lap and his hand in the air, "Do we need a reminder of where you stand, MC?"

"No, sir," I bit my tongue real quick.

"I think we need at least three," he decided, his hand snapping against my skin, "Count them out."

"One, sir," I moaned out, "Thank you, sir."

"Would you like another?"

"Yes, sir." Slap! "Two, sir! Thank you, sir."

"Can you handle one more?"

"Yes, sir," I braced myself for the final blow. Jumin's spankings were harder than usual, but the after tingle would last longer. Yay.

As Jumin pulled his hand back for what I was sure would be the hardest one, he started massaging my reddening butt cheek, "And that's why we're going to stop at two."

"Why, sir?" I wondered, thoroughly confused.

"Because I only had two reasons to punish you, sweetheart," he pulled me into his arms, "Do you know what they are?"

"Calling you out like I did," I assumed, "I should never say you're my sub, sir. I'm sorry."

"And the other?"

That one threw me for a loop. I could understand him getting pissed about me calling him submissive. Jumin was anything but. Why the hell would he be pissed at me? I laid my head on his shoulder, hoping he'd go easier on me if I was being cute, "I'm not sure, sir. Maybe you could tell me."

"If I tell you," Jumin said, "You won't learn anything."

"Please?" I bat my eyelashes at him.

"You don't like it either, do you?"

That's when it hit me. It all led back to me keeping today's plans from him, "You really don't do surprises, do you, Jumin?"

"Is it a crime to be well-prepared for things?" he asked.

"Do you really want me to tell you?" I curled into him.

"That's all I ask."

"Fine," I told him, "I've loved being with you. I've learned to become accustomed to a certain kind of lifestyle."

"It's great, isn't it?" Jumin swooned.

"It is," I agreed, "But I kind of miss the way things used to be."

"Are you saying you'd rather live the life of a commoner than the wonderful life of luxury I've given you?" I might as well have shot Elizabeth and made Jumin watch.

"Not at all," I assured, "I love this life you've given me, Jumin. And I love it even more that I get to share it with you. But maybe we can take a break from that. It does get exhausting."

"Take a break?" he thought for a minute, "What kind of break?"

"How about," I wrapped my arms around him, "you and I slum it for the day?"

"Gross," Jumin cringed, "I'm not a commoner. Why would I want to pretend to be one for an entire day?"

"Because," I insisted, "It could be fun. And who knows? If you're not the spoiled, self-entitled rich kid for the day, it might knock you down a peg or two. That would be good for you."

"What do you mean?" he asked, "I'm nothing if not humble."

"You sure?" I pointed out, "I suggest us going commoner for a day. Just one day. And you sound offended."

"I don't know any different."

"Let me show you," I took Jumin's hand, "And promise me you won't call anyone a commoner today. Please?"

"Deal."

 **A/N: Hi! Do you know what today is? Today is Jumin's birthday! My favorite god of sex, kink, and cats. And I love him. So, this extra has been rolling around in a notebook I have full of other extras for other things and I thought I'd gift this one to you for Jumin's birthday. Will I finish it? Will I spin off? I don't know. But for now, this is a scrap from my imagination. Enjoy. This is only a taste of what's to come. Because throughout December until the end of the year, I'm going to be posting extras that have popped into my head while I've been writing this. See you next chapter! xx**


	10. Saeran Choi: Bad Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! So, before we get into whose route we're doing today and next week, I have to tell you about this weird dream I had the other night. Because I've written for a lot of different fandoms, I usually have some bleed into my dreams. The last time I had this happen was a weird dream that turned lucid when I called for Sebastian from Black Butler and once he said, "Yes, Mistress.", I woke up. But this is weird, too. I was out in the woods in a cute little cabin. Everything was fine, but then, I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, so I went outside and Rika showed up. Yes. Rika. That Rika. I don't remember what she said to me, but I remember she stabbed me. But I wasn't waking up. She just kept stabbing me over and over again with a stick of cinnamon. I shit you not. But then, I turned lucid and realized this was a stick of cinnamon. But the thought of it still lingered and it made me have a panic attack in my sleep, so I woke up hyperventilating. But it was weird, man…**

 **Alright, so, now, we're going to get into whose route we're doing. I had a request to do Seven this week. However, I want to hold off on doing Seven's route toward the end. Spoiler: Seven's route is going to be the last one. Unless you're reading this at a later date, in which case, maybe you read Seven's route first because why not? But this week and next week, because I'm not doing Seven, let's do SAERAN instead! By the way, I have no intentions of calling him Ray because…Well…Personally, I think Cheritz done goofed when they were calling him Ray. It makes me weirdly uncomfortable. I just don't like it. So, let's get into Saeran's bad route, shall we?**

 **And because it is Saeran, this is going to be a heavy couple of chapters. I'll give you a heads up in the beginning if they're too bad. This one contains manipulation and violence. You've been warned.**

"Wake up..." a voice spoke softly. A man's voice, "Wake up, MC."

My head hurts. Sunlight wouldn't do me any favors. But where the hell was I? It looked like some sort of garden. Someone put some love into it. I could tell that much. Was I in a hammock? All of that could take a back seat. The man showed his face to me. I felt like I had seen it before, yet it was so unfamiliar.

"Who are you?" I jumped.

"It's alright, MC," he took my hand. Only for me to jerk it away, "You don't need to be scared. You know who I am."

"No," I kept my guard up, "I don't. So, I'll ask again. Who the hell are you?"

"I don't think you're in much of a position to be making demands," he managed to keep a gentle, yet unsettling smile on his face, "Regardless, your head is probably still a little fuzzy. And it's not every day you wake up in paradise like this."

"Paradise?" Ok. Whoever this guy is was nuts.

"That's right, sweetheart," he tried to calm me down, but I wasn't buying into his sales pitch, "Welcome to paradise. Isn't it beautiful? Almost as beautiful as you."

"Look, dude," I moved away from him, "I don't know who you are or where we are, but I want to go home."

"But you are home, MC," he assured, "This is where you belong. I want you to be happy here and enjoy yourself. Come with me. I'll show you our room."

"Our room?" I kept my distance, "We have a room?"

"Shh..." the man held me against his chest, making sure I couldn't' move, "You're just having trouble remembering. I promise it'll all be ok once you get used to it. Look, we're in room twelve. We'll meet up there later, ok? I have to talk to our leader for a minute. I promise everything will be ok."

Alright, MC. You know you have to find a way out of here, right? This place was beyond weird. Like Stepford weird, "Room twelve, right?"

"That's right!" his eyes lit up, "Maybe you'll start to remember where you should be and the right side to be on."

"What?"

"Go on, my angel," he kissed my forehead and sent me on my way. Ok, MC. You've watched enough crime dramas in your downtime to know what to do. First, show the captor what he wants to see, but be careful. There's a fine line between acting and Stockholm Syndrome. If I suck up to the guy, he'll tell me what I want to know. Then, if he says he's going somewhere, following him is a great idea.

I couldn't' be too obvious, though. I started walking opposite him, pretending to admire the scenery. Then again, I didn't exactly have to pretend. These gardens were gorgeous. The brilliant shades of red and purple were absolutely breathtaking. Once he was sure he's shaken me, I followed him closely into some sort of administration building. Mint Eye...I've heard that name before. When seven would talk about the hacker, he said he worked for an organization called Mint Eye.

Was that who he was? He did say I knew him. Relax, MC. Figure out the how first. Then, the why. But was this guy the hacker? He sent me a picture, but there was no way it was the same person. There was a possibility he was the hacker. He probably stole that picture off some poor sap's Instagram, knowing I'd believe anything. He definitely talked like the hacker. Saying sweet things to put me in a false sense of security.

He punched in some numbers on a keypad and went inside one of the rooms. An office, probably. And going by the ornate metalwork above the door, I could only assume this was his leader's office. Once the door shut, I pressed my ear against the wood, hoping to be able to hear something.

"I don't remember inviting you in," a woman's voice this time. Just as soft and sweet as his.

"You said you'd remember!" the man freaked, "You said she'd be happy here once we got her away from the others!"

"All in good time, Saeran," she settled him, "All in good time. Remember when we sent her to the apartment in the first place? This girl is the key to tearing them down and you know it. Then, you can finally get your revenge."

"It's taking longer than we thought, though..."

"Patience is a virtue," she scolded, "You remember that, don't you?"

"Yes," he submitted, "I'll be patient a little while longer."

"I know you love her, Saeran," she empathized, "I know what that's like. And even worse, I know what it's like when the someone you love doesn't comply. That's when you have to make them see what you see. And when they still don't listen, you make them unable to see at all. But give her a little bit more time, Saeran. We'll get her to come around."

Once I heard the door handle jiggle again, I bolted out of there. Thank God, I was fast and light on my feet. I started looking around for wherever our room would be. This place was huge. Like a commune. Saeran...Where have I heard or seen that name before. And why would he want revenge? Who hurt him? Even scarier yet, who was running this place? I found room twelve and locked myself inside. Plain, but cozy. Alright, MC. Retrace your steps.

I was at Rika's apartment. I was just finishing up getting ready for an RFA party and I looked pretty damn cute if I do say so myself. Going by the look of me now, though, I've changed clothes since then. And all of my makeup was wiped off, too. But I had noticed a new chatroom had opened up. Nothing new. We always talked before a party.

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Hi, guys!_

 _707:_

 _MC!_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Hello, MC._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Hi, hi!_

 _Zen:_

 _Hi there._

 _*blowing kisses emoji*_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Hi, MC._

 _707:_

 _Are you ready yet? The party's in half an hour!_

 _MC:_

 _I'm getting there._

 _Relax._

 _Zen:_

 _I don't see how you could get any more perfect._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Thank you, Zen._

 _I had no idea you felt so strongly._

 _Zen:_

 _Not you!_

 _*angry emoji*_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Honestly, Mr. Han..._

 _Must you rile him up every time we come into a chat?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Seven has Yoosung._

 _I have Zen._

 _I'm allowed to have a little fun, too._

 _MC:_

 _She does have a point, though, Jumin._

 _Yoosung:_

 _What do you mean, Seven has Yoosung?!_

 _707:_

 _I have you to mess with when I'm bored._

 _Jumin has Zen._

 _And he wonders why we think he's gay._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _..._

 _I'm not gay, Seven._

 _707:_

 _And there's no sense in trying to outdo the king._

 _*celebratory emoji*_

 _Zen:_

 _We're all your playthings, aren't we, Seven?_

 _707:_

 _But I love my toys!_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _We're not your toys._

 _MC:_

 _Seconded._

 _707:_

 _Aww..._

 _MC:_

 _Sorry to take the wind out of your sails._

 _Zen:_

 _MC, you're too nice to him._

 _707:_

 _Rude._

 _Zen:_

 _I'm being rude?_

 _MC:_

 _Boys..._

 _I'm not separating you two again._

 _Zen:_

 _Sorry, MC._

 _707:_

 _Sorry, MC..._

 _Yoosung:_

 _How did we manage before MC?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Mostly me._

 _707:_

 _Jaehee is definitely the mom friend._

 _MOM!_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Please don't._

 _MC:_

 _You're not the mom friend, Jaehee._

 _I am._

 _Regrettably._

 _Zen:_

 _We love you, too, MC._

 _[V has entered the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _Hey! Lookie who's here!_

 _Has Hell frozen over?_

 _V:_

 _Hello, everyone._

 _MC:_

 _Hi, V._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _What's the occasion you're here?_

 _V:_

 _After reading some of the previous messages_

 _You're all right._

 _I couldn't have handpicked anyone better to take Rika's place, MC._

 _So, from the bottom of my heart..._

 _Thank you._

 _MC:_

 _It was my pleasure._

 _Does that mean we'll see you at the party today, V?_

 _V:_

 _Yes. I'll be there._

 _707:_

 _Yay!_

 _*happy emoji*_

 _V:_

 _I really can't wait to see all of you._

 _MC:_

 _V..._

 _V:_

 _Yes, MC?_

 _MC:_

 _..._

 _Was that intentional?_

 _V:_

 _If you can't make jokes about yourself..._

 _MC:_

 _*facepalm emoji*_

 _V:_

 _Those are new._

 _Luciel, did you make updates?_

 _707:_

 _A few._

 _I thought that MC's been a part of the RFA long enough._

 _She deserves her own emojis._

 _Along with a few new ones for all of us._

 _MC:_

 _I think they're cute._

 _707:_

 _*blushing emoji*_

 _See? MC thinks they're cute._

 _MC:_

 _Well, lady and gentlemen_

 _I'd love to stick around, but we'll see each other soon._

 _Zen:_

 _I should be going, too._

 _See you soon, MC!_

 _[Zen has left the chatroom.]_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Assistant Kang, is Elizabeth 3rd's carrier ready?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _You're not really taking her to the party, are you?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Why wouldn't I?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Uh, Jumin..._

 _Did you wait for Zen to leave before you said that?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Yes._

 _707:_

 _At least he's honest._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _She always makes it for a fun party._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Because of Zen sneezing every two seconds?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Yes._

 _*happy emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _Sadist._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _A little bit of a sadist._

 _MC:_

 _You're a very twisted individual, Jumin Han._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _You don't even know the half of it._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _It's true._

 _He delights in the misery of others._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Make sure Elizabeth is taken care of, Assistant Kang_

 _[Jumin Han has left the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Good luck, Jaehee._

 _I'll pray for you._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Thank you, MC._

 _[Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.]_

 _Yoosung:_

 _To think, I could be working for Jumin._

 _707:_

 _You better get fitted for leather now, Yoosung._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Why?_

 _707:_

 _lololololololololol_

 _So innocent._

 _Yoosung:_

 _MC, what's he talking about?_

 _Why would I have to be in leather?_

 _MC:_

 _Don't worry about it, Yoosung._

 _Seven's just trying to rile you up again._

 _Don't give into it._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Ok._

 _I'm going to try to fit in a quick LOLOL match before the party._

 _See you soon!_

 _[Yoosung has left the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _I should send him a ball gag._

 _Just for fun._

 _MC:_

 _Seven, play nice._

 _707:_

 _But..._

 _MC..._

 _It_

 _Would_

 _Be_

 _Fun_

 _MC:_

 _And psychologically scarring for Yoosung_

 _No._

 _707:_

 _If I had a nickel for every time I might have psychologically scarred Yoosung_

 _I'd double my current net worth._

 _Tell me Jumin wouldn't be into some weird stuff like that._

 _MC:_

 _I don't need to know._

 _V:_

 _Neither do I._

 _MC:_

 _That's Jumin's business._

 _707:_

 _Foiled by Mom and Dad again._

 _See you later._

 _Seven out!~_

 _[707 has left the chatroom.]_

 _V:_

 _Why do we have to be Mom and Dad?_

 _MC:_

 _Because I'm the mom friend and you're the President of the RFA._

 _V:_

 _I guess that puts it into perspective._

 _MC..._

 _MC:_

 _Is everything ok?_

 _V:_

 _I really do appreciate everything you've done for the organization._

 _You're the glue that holds us together._

 _Sometimes, it hasn't been the safest situation._

 _MC:_

 _I've already forgiven you for the bomb._

 _V:_

 _That's not what I meant._

 _With that hacker._

 _And the bomb, too._

 _Thank you._

 _MC:_

 _No need for that, V. You know I'd do it all over again._

 _V:_

 _I'll see you soon._

 _Be careful._

 _MC:_

 _I will._

 _See you soon._

 _[V has left the chatroom.]_

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

After I left the chatroom, I grabbed my bag and started heading out. That's when things started taking a turn. Some guy in a black hoody and a surgical mask came out of nowhere. He didn't say anything. He just stood outside my door. I didn't pay him much attention, though, thinking he'd go away if I ignored him. But he wasn't going anywhere.

"Uh…" I gave him a look, "Hi. Do I know you?"

"Well," he spoke, "You could say I'm unknown. You need to come with me."

"No," I shot him down, "I'm sorry, but I have somewhere to be."

"You do," he agreed, "Come with me. I need to take you to paradise."

And that's when I ended up here. Waking up in that hammock. This was making my head hurt even worse. I wonder if we had any aspirin in this room. I checked every cabinet in this whole place and not a single painkiller. No medicines of any kind. Not even a first aid kit. If this guy was the hacker, what did he need me for? Did he want to tear apart the RFA and use me to do it? And why?

Knock, knock.

Immediately, I kept away from any of the windows and got down on the floor. Just go away. Please go away. Wait. If it was my kidnapper, why would he need to knock? This was his room, too. But God only knows who would be waiting for me on the other side. So, I kept quiet. I kept as out of sight as I could.

Knock, knock.

"MC," a familiar voice whispered, "MC, it's your favorite lucky number. Let me in."

"Seven?" I gasped. Thank God, it's a rescue! I unlocked the door and the door creaked open. I practically tackled him as he came in the door, "I've never been so happy to see you!"

"Missed you, too," Seven hugged me tight, "Are you ok?"

"Other than the mental scars," I shook them off, "I'll be alright. Physically, I'm fine."

"Good," he checked me over, "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm going to get you out of here and get you to my house. It's the safest place for you to be. Although, if your kidnapper is who I think he is, he does know Arabic, so he could crack one of the locks."

"But," I hoped, "You are getting me out of here?"

"Of course," Seven held me tight, "I promise…"

"Ha!" my captor scoffed, "That's rich coming from you."

"MC," Seven didn't even break a sweat, "You've met our hacker, haven't you?"

"I'm pretty sure we've met," I nodded.

"So, then," my captor asked, "You do realize he's the one lying to you, right, MC?"

"No, he's not," I shook my head, "I know Seven better than that. He's going to get me out of here and away from this."

"Why would you want to leave paradise?" he worried, "This is a utopia made by our leader for us. She's brought us salvation on Earth. This is a safe place."

"I'm not drinking your Kool-Aid, man," I put my foot down, "I want to go home and that's not here."

"MC…" Seven stopped me, "I got it."

"Leave, Saeyoung," he demanded, "Leave the girl and leave."

"I thought it was you," Seven smiled a little, "Many call me 707. Few call me Luciel. But only one calls me Saeyoung."

"I'm not going to repeat myself," he pulled a gun out of his inside pocket and pointed it at Seven, "Leave."

Seven flinched, "Put that down…"

Wait…How the hell did Seven know him?!

"No!" he didn't back down, "You left me!"

"I know…" Seven's voice broke, "I know…"

I had never seen Seven break down before. And I never thought I would.

"When you abandoned me," he growled, his eyes starting to swell, "She found me. And she led me to her. You don't deserve to be in our paradise, Saeyoung. Some of the things you've done…What you've mutated the RFA into…That's why our leader left. Because it had become a monster she didn't recognize anymore. It disgusted her. And that's when MC came into play. She told me to hack her cell phone and get her into the RFA. You've all grown awfully attached to her, haven't you?"

"Someone's filling your head with lies," a few tears trickled down Seven's face, "I know I've screwed up, but we can fix things. We just need to get you out of here, too. And we'll get your head back on straight, too. It'll be ok."

"Is she the one lying to me?" he growled, "Or is it you? Again? Because I remember someone telling me that we'd never be apart. And then, I never saw him again. You ran away. And you left me alone. I am thinking clearly. It's just not the same as you and that just pisses you off, doesn't it?"

"Saeran…"

He froze. The mere mention of his name out of Seven's mouth was enough to leave him speechless. Or it made him even angrier, "How dare you? How dare you speak my name so easily?"

"You know how," Seven wept, "You're my brother, Saeran, and I still love you. Why else would I want to be helping you?"

Excuse me? His what now? I looked closer at Saeran's face, comparing it to Seven's. I knew I had seen it somewhere before. That's why he put me at ease without any effort. They looked like carbon copies of each other. Minus the hair color, but other than that, they were identical.

"You're lying to me!" Saeran snarled, loading the chamber, "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have left in the first place!"

"Saeran," Seven shook, "I'm sorry…"

"You better be," Saeran pulled the trigger.

"What did you do?" my heart stopped.

"You were going to leave me, too, weren't you?" Saeran asked, still keeping a scarily level head.

"Dude," I pointed out, "You kidnapped me."

"Not exactly what you should be saying to the man with the gun," he retaliated, "I love you, MC. And I'll see you in paradise…"

BANG!

 **A/N: I warned you this would be a heavy chapter. And it gave me chills. It also broke me while I was writing it and I have a little bit of ache in my chest. Not figurative. A literal ache. God knows Mint Eye has screwed up my poor baby and I promise that next week's chapter is going to be a lot better. And a lot easier to swallow. Saeran deserved better. See you next chapter! xx**


	11. Saeran Choi: Good Route

There was nothing better than this. Just my boys and me and some quality cinema. Something about being sandwiched between my favorite pair of twins made me feel...complete. I loved them both in their own way and I wouldn't trade this for the world. They were my boys. I couldn't leave them.

And we had only gotten closer since Seven and I brought Saeran back to somewhere normal. Every Saturday night, the three of us had a tradition. It was movie night in the Choi household. This week, it was Seven's turn to pick the movie. After we brought Saeran back here after Mint Eye's demise, Seven and I agreed to give Saeran a sense of healthy structure. We started simple. And so, movie night was born.

"Saeyoung," Saeran came to, staring blankly at the screen while the credits scrolled, stealing one of my Milk Duds, "What kind of Dungeons and Dragons bullshit did you just force us to watch?"

"First of all," Seven pouted, "Rude. And Lord of the Rings is a classic. How could you not like it?"

"Because it was three hours of guys walking," he rolled his eyes, "I hardly stayed awake."

"You did doze off, Saeran," I confirmed.

Halfway through the movie, I felt Saeran get comfortable, even giving a yawn or two. He shut his eyes for a minute. Before we knew it, he was sleeping like a baby on my shoulder. Of course, his brother and I being the huge dorks we are, couldn't let this go undocumented. I've been dating Saeran for a few months and even I rarely saw any affection from him. Then again, I understood. After everything he went through at Mint Eye (and it's only the things I've heard about. God only knows what he wasn't telling me.), these things would take time. Cults will screw with someone's head. And unfortunately, Saeran would be no different.

"Seven," I whispered, "Seven, look."

"What?" he looked over at me with his brother clocked out on my arm. Seven let out a soft gasp, "He's sleeping..."

"Get the camera," I stayed perfectly still, "Get. The camera. now."

"On it!" Seven leapt off the couch, making Saeran stir a little bit, but not enough to wake him. Instead, he pulled himself a little closer to me. I pushed my luck a little bit and snaked my arm around him. Saeran looked so peaceful. I knew this wouldn't last long, but it'd be nice while it lasted.

"Mmm..." Saeran moaned into my sweater sleeve, "You feel nice, MC."

I loved this boy so much. I wanted nothing to ever happen to him as severe as Mint Eye ever again. Softly, I kissed the top of his head and Seven's camera flash went off. Saeran jerked himself awake again and I glared at his other half. I'd kill him for spoiling the moment later.

"There's documented proof?" Saeran snarled, "Why?"

"Because you were cute," I settled him, "You do have your moments, Saeran."

"I'm not cute," he pouted.

I never got to see Saeran in his "it's not a phase" phase, but I have a feeling it was a lot like this, "Alright. I guess you're not cute."

"Hey!" he squeaked, "What do you mean, I'm not cute?"

"He's adorable when he gets all flustered," Seven chimed in.

"He really is," I held him against my chest.

"Screw this," Saeran got out of my embrace, "I'm going to bed."

"I'll be in soon."

"Me, too," Seven added, not knowing when to keep his mouth shut.

"Like hell you are!" Saeran slammed our bedroom door behind him.

"Seven," I cradled my face in my hand, "I love you to pieces, but for the love of God, learn to read the room."

"What?" Seven shrugged, "What if I wanted to come in and cuddle with you guys?"

"When has that ever flown?" I asked.

"Never."

"Exactly," I grabbed the dirty dishes off the coffee table and brought them into the kitchen.

"You don't have to do that, MC," Seven tried taking them from me, "Ms. Vanderwood's coming in the morning."

"I make Vanderwood's job easier," I giggled, "I take care of Saeran, I keep an eye on you. We swap stories. We have cocktails once a week because we need them after dealing with you two."

"Are you Vanderwood's Friday night?" he freaked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "Cosmos and whiskey make a hell of a combination. We sit around, gossip about you two. It's like book club."

"Can I be honest with you for a second, MC?" Seven jumped up on the kitchen counter.

"I hope you're honest with me longer than that," I kept my fingers crossed, "But sure. What's up?"

"You're good for him, you know," he admitted, "You do know that, right?"

"What do you mean?" I wondered, "Vanderwood? Yeah. I keep the ulcers from forming."

"Not Vanderwood," he clarified, "Saeran. I know we pick on him and baby him a little more than what we probably should, but you've been so good for him. If there's anyone I trust in this world to make him better aside from myself, it's definitely you."

"Thanks, Seven," I awed, "You really think so?"

"I know so," Seven hugged me tight, "Have you rehabilitated someone fresh out of a cult before?"

"No." There he was. There's the Seven I knew and loved. It was unlike him to be so serious, "Hard to believe he's my first one."

"But for serious," he smiled, "You're good for him. You're like watermelon."

"Watermelon?" Whatever analogy Seven was trying to make here was lost on me.

"You're not only good for him," he elaborated, "But you're also delicious and if I eat too much of you in one sitting, you make my stomach hurt."

"That was sweet, Seven," I rolled my eyes, "Right until that last part. Three stars. A for effort."

"I try," Seven bowed, "And I'll be here all week."

"You live here, dum-dum." As did I, regrettably, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll take care of these in the morning before Vanderwood gets here. I'm going to crawl in bed and cuddle your brother."

"Lucky!" he whined, "I want to cuddle Saeran, too!"

"We tried that once, remember?" I recalled, "In the middle of the night, Saeran punched you in the face twice. You woke up with a black eye and blood all over the sheets. It looked like a damn crime scene."

"Yeah…" Seven fumed a little, but his anger never lasted long.

"Good night," I kissed his cheek and sent him off to bed.

I peeked in on my boyfriend nearly asleep in our bed. Despite that we slept together nightly, Saeran was still a bit skittish when I got in bed after he did. He wasn't a big fan of being touched at times. However, if it was me, he'd be relatively ok. When we finally got him out of Mint Eye, even though Seven told me not to go, I was the one that got him out. I was a familiar face that he didn't want to punch. They can't really tell me no when I hide in the trunk of his car. Was it a little crazy? Yes. But I wanted to know who was behind everything just as much as they did.

I got into bed and tried to curl up to him. Saeran jumped out of his skin, but once he realized it was me, he settled down again. I wish he wasn't always so on edge. He didn't have to be and he knew it. Seven's security system was hackable for two people in this world. And they lived in this house. Everything would be ok and I wasn't going to let Seven in the bed with us anymore. He could say he had a nightmare all he wanted to. There was no nightmare.

Although, I knew there was one brewing. They didn't happen often, but Saeran's nightmares always ended with him getting violent in his sleep. I didn't know the exact details of what happened at Mint Eye, but I knew that wasn't exactly a topic of conversation for the dinner table. That was one of those things that if Saeran didn't bring it up, we didn't talk about it. His nightmares would always turn violent, but tonight was different.

Instead of getting punchy, Saeran started shaking horribly. Enough to wake me up. Not only did he shake, but he let out a soft whimper. Immediately, my maternal instincts went into overdrive. I pulled Saeran into my lap and he clung to me for dear life. My god, Saeran. What happened to you? The overwhelming need to love him and protect him consumed me. Even more when he started to talk in his sleep.

"She's here…" a tear rolled down his face, "She's in my head…"

"Who's here, Saeran?" I worried, holding him tight.

"Rika…" Saeran wept, "She's in my head. It hurts…Oh, God, MC…It hurts so bad…"

"It's ok, Saeran," I rocked him a bit, "It's alright. She's not here. It's just you and me. I promise you'll be ok. I'm not going to let Rika get to you. And neither is Saeyoung. Our security system is the best in the world and no one's going to get you here. You're perfectly safe."

"What's Saeyoung going to do?" he snapped, "He's just going to leave me again. And what's stopping you from leaving, too?"

I gave him a soft, gentle kiss, waking him up. His eyes were bright pink and my heart was in pieces. Stay strong, MC. Stay strong for him. Be strong enough for the both of you, "You're what's stopping me from leaving. I love you, Saeran. I'm not going anywhere. And Saeyoung isn't either. I promise."

"MC," Saeran cuddled into me, hiding his tearstained face in my ribs, "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

"You were simply born, baby," I smiled, "That's all you had to do."

"You shouldn't have to see me like this."

"But I do anyway," I ran my fingers through the soft white fluff on his head. Some of his natural color was starting to poke through, "And even though I see it, I'm still here. It's going to take a lot more than you crying to get me to leave, sweetheart. If you breaking into Rika's apartment when I still lived there didn't scare me off or you hacking my phone in the first place didn't scare me off, I don't think there's anything you can do."

"That wasn't Rika's apartment anymore," Saeran's shaking went down considerably, "I've been to Rika's apartment. I knew what that felt like. When I broke in, it felt completely different. Not as cold as what it once was."

"I love you, too," I gave him one last kiss, "Are you ok?"

"I've been better," he shrugged, "But I'm not having a panic attack in my sleep anymore, so I have that going for me."

"You sure you're ok?" I winced, "People don't just bounce back that quick."

"I'm not ordinary people," Saeran nuzzled his face in my belly, latching himself around my waist.

"No, you're not," I pulled the blankets back over us, "You're so much more than ordinary, but you're not hiding anything from me, are you?"

"No," he said, "I promise."

"Good," I wrapped my arms around him, "Good night, Saeran."

"Good night," Saeran got comfortable again, his eyes slowly shutting, "Hey, MC…"

"Yeah?"

"You're not hiding something from me either, right?" he hoped.

I looked down at him, confused, "What do you mean?"

"You don't…" Saeran dropped his gaze, "You don't secretly think about leaving, do you? Or imagine what your life would be like with another man? Or anything like that?"

"Of course not," I pressed my lips against his forehead, "It's you and me. I promise. I love you, Saeran."

"I love you, too," he didn't even hesitate. With him taken care of, I could go back to sleep, "And MC…Just one more thing."

I loved him, but I was tired and wanted to go back to sleep, "What, Saeran?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, baby."

Saeran resituated us, making me little spoon. And he pulled me into the deepest, most sincere kiss we've ever had, "Will you be my new paradise?"

His question caught me off guard. The P word wasn't exactly one we used lightly around here. It usually sent Saeran into Mint Eye flashbacks and we didn't want that for him. He didn't deserve it. Wait a minute…Was that question a little more than face value? I looked up at him, "Saeran…Are you proposing?"

"Better than that," he clarified, "There's no doubt that I love you, but for whatever reason, you love me, too. When we're together…I don't know. Things seem better. Like they're perfect. I just don't want that to ever go away."

I laid my head on Saeran's chest, listening to his heartbeat getting quicker and quicker, "I'll always be your paradise."

"Thank you," he kissed the top of my head, "Go to sleep, ok? I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Don't worry about it," I brushed him off, "Good night."

"Good night."

I felt my boyfriend's arms go around me, like he was afraid of losing me. I've told you this a million times, baby. I'm not going anywhere. Because this? This was my paradise. And I never wanted to leave. But then, I felt another warm body pressed against my back. Neither one of us were going to say no. We were both too tired to fight it.

"Good night, Seven…"

"Good night, MC."

 **A/N: Saeran deserved better. He deserved to be loved and taken care of and I know that poor baby has gone through some shit. He needs to be cuddled and kissed all over and loved and I want to punch Rika in the boob so hard. And I'm going to be honest with you here. I really want to snuggle and love all over him until he can't see straight. Not to mention, I think this is much better than him killing his brother and MC. It's SO much better. And Seven didn't walk out with a black eye! Yay!**

 **Now, as for next week…Since we're coming down to the wire here and NaNoWriMo season is approaching quickly (like…In the next couple weeks), I can't exactly ask you who you're wanting to see next week. There are only two people we can do. So, next week, we're going to get V's routes and then, we'll get a Seven route. Ideally, what I'd like to do is extras in December for this. Random little ideas that have popped into my head like I did for Jumin's birthday. Like Yoosung's adventure in Guatemala with Lupe. If you have anything you'd like to see, feel free to throw it in the reviews. Also, I'm kind of stumped on how to do V's route, so if you could help a sister out there, too, that'd be great. I have Seven's route already in my head and you're going to hate me. Or love me. I don't know. Either way, see you next chapter! xx**


	12. V: Bad Route

A nice, calm, rainy afternoon of nothing but RFA work. And I wasn't complaining. Our last party was pretty small, so this time, I wanted to try something different. Jumin told me I could use his credit cards if need be. It was nice to have that kind of a cushion. Everyone was working so hard for this party to be better than the last one and I don't think I'd be able to do it without them. We might not have been the most orthodox family and the way we met may have been even stranger, but we got each other.

Knock, knock.

Since I started living in Rika's apartment, Seven told me to never answer the door unless I was expecting someone. If it wasn't an RFA member that texted me first or the pizza man or my favorite Chinese delivery guy, it stayed shut with the security bolt locked. It's not like anyone could get in without the door code anyway. I stood on my tiptoes and checked the peephole.

"V," I threw the door open, "Hi!"

"Hello, MC," V smiled, "It's always so nice to hear from you."

"How are you?" I guided him in.

"Just got back from a trip to Belize," he sat at my table, "Humidity isn't fun."

"Amen," I put a kettle of water on the stove, "Any preference?"

"Chamomile if you have it," V picked, "Do you think we could talk, MC? It's been a while since I last had insightful conversation."

"Sure," I got a tea set out of the cabinet. Out of everything that's come out of being a member of the RFA, my chats with V were always my favorite, "What's on your mind?"

"Those plane rides are exhausting," he began, "But they gave me a lot of time to think."

"I'm listening," I got my tea box out and thumbed through the neatly organized envelopes of tea bags.

"Kettle's about to whistle..."

"You and your damn superhuman hearing," I giggled, taking the kettle off the stove.

"Weren't you ever taught to not sneak up on a blind man?" V laughed with me, "It's impossible."

"So," I put the water in the pot and started pouring, "What's on your mind?"

"Ever think about what happens after we die?"

"Wow," I sat down, "Coming in hot there, V."

"I'm serious," he clarified, "I'm sorry if I'm sounding morbid, but I promise. It's quite the opposite."

"Alright, I'll bite," I squeezed my honey in my cup, "What brought this on?"

"I was remembering what it was like to look out a plane window," V began, "And how it sat on the clouds. It got me thinking about when Rika and I would take long trips together just on a whim. We'd go to bed one night and wake up the next morning to jet set to a different country. Those spontaneous trips were some of my favorite."

"It sounds peaceful," I thought.

"I miss those trips," V stirred his tea with his finger.

"I could use one of those spontaneous trips," I sighed out, resting my face in my hands.

"RFA work getting too difficult for you?" he worried.

"It's not that," I assured, "Just life in general. It's tiring."

"You never answered my question," V continued, "What do you think happens after we die?"

"I'm not sure," I ran my finger around the rim of my glass, "I grew up in a Christian household, so I guess we just go to Heaven and call it a day. But all of that seems too simple."

"I couldn't agree more," he nodded, "It does seem far too simple. But what about when we actually get to Heaven? What do you think it's like?"

"It's beautiful," I assumed, "Everything is so pure and innocent."

"Maybe it goes a little deeper than that," V went on, "You're thinking too visually."

"What do you mean?"

V smiled a little bit, "In the end, what is a soul? It's your life force. It's what makes you who you are. It's energy in its purest, rawest form. Once someone dies, their soul lives on. It leaves your body and it goes up to its home in the stars. That's why there are so many. I think that's what Heaven is."

"V," I let out a soft gasp, "That was beautiful. If photography doesn't work out for you, you'd make a hell of a poet."

"I'm no poet," he finished his tea, "But I think I'll stick with my photography, thank you very much."

"Fair enough," I let him have that one. But something was still off with him, "V? Are you alright? You seem awfully distant."

"Just a thought," V said, "What if that idea of Heaven...of that kind of an eternal paradise...What if that could be brought a little closer?"

"I think you'd be venturing into Icarus territory," I bit my lip. Something was really off.

"What if we could have our own Heaven while we're alive?" he kept at it, "Rika thought it could be done."

"It's a nice thought," I tried bringing him back down to Earth, "But like I said, I'm pretty sure Icarus learned that the hard way."

"That's just a story, MC," V pointed out, "Little did they know, Icarus tried again. Only this time, his wings were made of steel instead of wax. The steel would reflect the heat and stay intact. Then, and only then, would Icarus finally be able to touch the face of God."

"V," I shook a bit, "You're scaring me. You're talking crazy."

"I'm sorry," he took my hand, "MC, can I show you something? Something special?"

"Sure," I wasn't going to leave him alone. If V wanted to show me something, I'd trust him. I have this long. I doubt that he'd lead me into something dangerous.

"Wonderful," V beamed, pulling a piece of black fabric out of his pocket, "Although, once we get to the car, I'm going to have to ask you to put this on."

"V," I wasn't quite sure what to make of the blindfold. That was something I'd expect more from Jumin than V, "What the hell is going on?"

"It's alright," he promised, "Just trust me."

"Ok," I took V's hand and we walked out to his car. And he tied the blindfold on for me. The car ride seemed like it took entirely too long. And I wasn't liking this. I trusted V with my life, but not when he's like this. It's like someone had control over him, but it was still V's thoughts. That was still the V I knew and loved. Only with one little thing off.

When the car stopped, I was still blindfolded and escorted inside some building. This whole not being able to see thing kind of sucked. I wasn't getting the superhuman senses thing like V had yet. But we still kept walking. Finally, when we stopped V and I sat down on some rather comfortable chairs. Wherever we were had good taste in decorating. I liked this part. It didn't fill me with terror like the rest of it.

"Hello, MC," a woman's voice spoke. Very soft and gentle and soothing. She even went as far as to pull my blindfold off, "Do you know where you are?"

"No," I took a quick glance around the room. The very white room…

"Do you know who I am?" the woman's face shined with pure innocence. My god, she was beautiful.

"No…" In my check of my surroundings (mostly for an exit, honestly), someone was missing, "I came here with a friend…Do you know where he is?"

"Don't worry about V," she brushed him off, "He'll be back. I'm more interested in you."

"What about me?" I asked.

"First of all," the woman took my hands, "I really should introduce myself. My name is Rika. I'm sure you've heard my name from the others once or twice. At least from V and Yoosung."

"You're that Rika?" I gasped. Wasn't she supposed to be…dead? Suicide? A couple years ago?

"The one and only," Rika smiled.

"What is all this?" I started to freak. There's definitely something not kosher here.

"This?" she looked around, "This is what the RFA was supposed to be. But then, something went wrong. Things got too corrupt. It became more about charity than it was about the bigger picture. And so, that's when I decided to fake my death."

"But," I thought it over, still looking for my quickest exit, "What about your friends? Your family? For my first few months in the RFA, Yoosung still thought I was you."

"And I can see why he'd say that," Rika agreed, "There is some of me in you. From what I understand anyway. It's no wonder you caught V's eye. However, you know he's engaged to me."

"Yeah," I nodded.

"What do you think of V, MC?" she wondered.

"He's a friend," I explained, "And he makes for really nice conversation."

"Would you go as far to say…" Rika broke eye contact with me, "You love him?"

"V?" I squeaked. Sure, I did have a little bit of a thing for V. How could I not? He was so kind and talented and beautiful. V made it impossible not to fall in love with him. But I couldn't say something like that to his fiancée, "I do love him. He's like the older brother I never had."

"Well," she cracked open the door and in came V, looking like he just got into a fight, "Apparently, someone was thinking differently. And had been for quite some time."

"V…" I looked toward him, but he couldn't bear to look back. It's like he was completely dead inside.

"MC," Rika took back my attention, "What would you be willing to sacrifice for your paradise?"

"What do you mean?" This whole thing was making my head hurt and I just wanted to go home.

"Because someone's eyes began to wander," she glared at V, "He needed a reminder of who his eyes should be looking at. However, after that, he couldn't be trusted with them anymore. And that was his atonement. Now he knows who owns his eyes, don't you, sweetheart?"

V wouldn't speak. He wouldn't even acknowledge my existence. And it was starting to piss me off, "V!"

He flinched. Rika chuckled under her breath, "Now, MC…V gave his eyes for paradise. Would you be willing to make that kind of sacrifice?"

I thought her words over in my head a little more carefully. When she talked about V and his eyes, it sounded like she had them. Physically had them. And given the way V has been with me all day, the fact that she might have something to do with it seemed like a logical standpoint. Did this crazy bitch take V's sight from him?

"No," I got up, "I'm leaving."

"Wait, MC," V stopped me, "Please…Don't go."

"I didn't say I'd be going without you," I took his hand, "Come on."

"No, no," Rika put her foot down, "You're not going anywhere. V, take her to the altar."

Without another word, V led me out to a long hallway. Altar? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Luckily, I saw a bright red exit sign. Sweet freedom, "V..."

Silence.

"V," I gave him another nudge, but still the same, blank face, "V, you're blind, not deaf. Listen to me. There's an exit over there. You and me. We can make a break for it. I'm sure Seven can set us up with some sort of fake IDs and we can fall off the face of the Earth. You don't deserve this."

"Quiet, MC," V commanded, "I'm so sorry."

A guy in a surgical mask took me off V's hands and shot me full of something that made me feel very heavy and very tired very quickly. My whole body had gone completely numb. When I woke up, I was dressed in white robes and tied down to some sort of table in a semi dark room with only the glow of candlelight flickering against the walls.

"It's good to see you're finally awake, MC," Rika smiled sweetly, putting a bittersweet taste in my mouth, "How are you feeling?"

"V…" I felt myself drift back off again, "Where's V?"

"What did I say about you worrying about V?" she growled, then snapped back to her cheerier persona, "He's here, too. He needs to see this."

"What are you going to do with me?" I worried.

"As the old saying goes," Rika took a knife off the wall, "An eye for an eye, right? Although, I don't think the poetic justice would be there in our situation. Saeran!"

"Yes?" the guy in the surgical mask from before jumped to her side.

"Good boy," she petted his head like some sort of dog, "I want you to hold her down for me, ok?"

"Yes," he pinned my arms down even more than they already were.

"In our case," Rika undid some of the buttons on my robes, "Since you did take my V's heart…Let's go for a heart for a heart."

"V!" I screamed, struggling under my captor's grip, "V, help me!"

But V did nothing. Instead, he stood by while I felt the knife in Rika's hand plunge into my chest. Thankfully, I passed out from the pain. Or so I thought. I was going to bleed out right here, wasn't I…? I'm sorry, V…I'm sorry I couldn't save you…

…I love you.

 **A/N: I'm sorry that this is up so late, but welcome to V's route, kids. You already knew this was coming this week. Now, I'm debating whether or not to go on hiatus next month. All of my other stories are being backburnered, so I can do NaNoWriMo this year. If you don't know what that is, the entire month of November is spent attempting a 50,000 word novel. Last year, I succeeded almost four times over. This year, hopefully, I'll do the same thing. Just you wait. I'm going to try to post a good route for V next week to get the taste of this one out of your mouth. I'm sorry, but when I think V and I think a bad route, that could only mean Rika. Psycho bitch…Anyway, see you next chapter! xx**


	13. V: Good Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! With NaNo season coming to a close in six days (in current time) and the fact that I hit the 50K mark a few days ago, you deserve an update. Especially since I was kind of a dick with the last one. V deserves better, does he not? Well…Enjoy better.**

Every once in a while, I liked to get out of Rika's apartment, ok? Was that too much to ask for? Well…I say Rika's apartment. It's practically mine by now. I liked it even more when I got a knock on my door one afternoon. Not many knew where this apartment was aside from the neighbors and the pizza man. And only a select few of the RFA knew where I lived. But I think it was ok if I let one in particular in.

Especially when he's mine to begin with, "Hi there."

"Hi," V's face always lit up when he'd hear my voice, "Busy?"

"Not really," I brought him inside, "What's up?"

"Are you going to be busy for the next four to six days?" he asked.

"We've been over this, V," I rolled my eyes, "I'm not pregnant."

"That's not what I was asking," V clarified, taking a seat at my kitchen table, "Are you going to be busy?"

"No," I was skeptical, "Why?"

"Because," he explained, "I'm going to ask Luciel to update the RFA website and in order to do that, he's going to need some good, professional shots of our newest member and party coordinator to put on there, isn't he?"

"V," I sat in his lap, "You don't have to do that. I'm so much of a narcissist that I have plenty of selfies that Seven can use."

"Come on, MC," V wrapped his arms around my waist, "You know I don't want one of those."

"Always the perfectionist," I teased, kissing his cheek, "In that case, where did you have in mind?"

"Well," he pulled a pair of plane tickets out of his pocket, "How would you feel about New Zealand?"

"New Zealand?" I freaked, reading our tickets, "V, we're going to New Zealand?!"

"We're going to New Zealand," he promised, "I thought that the only backdrop for someone so beautiful could be a beautiful place. And after hearing you gush so much about New Zealand, it just made sense."

"We're really doing this?"

"Yes."

I stared at our tickets, still in total disbelief, "We're really going to New Zealand?"

"Yes, MC," V laughed, "I swear. The tickets are real. By this time tomorrow, you and I will be in Wellington, New Zealand, probably taking pictures. Maybe something by the beach? No…We'll do a shoot by the cliffs. That sounds better."

"I guess I should get packing then," I got up from his lap and went into my bedroom. It's been ages since V and I have been anywhere. He's been sticking around a lot lately, helping me plan RFA parties, "So, what's the occasion we're taking a trip? Why can't we just do the shoot here?"

"We could both stand to get out of town for a while," V called from the kitchen, "And you always talked about how bad you've wanted to go there."

"Have you ever been?" I asked.

"A couple times in the past," he remembered, "You're going to love it, MC. It truly feels like an entirely different world. Someplace ethereal."

"Do we have to wait until tomorrow?" I whined, packing some light dresses.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," V snuck up behind me, kissing on my neck, "You can be just a little more patient for me, can't you?"

"It'll suck," I pouted, "But I guess I'll live."

"What time is it?"

I looked over at my alarm clock, "Six-thirty."

"Another five and a half hours until midnight," V pulled me down to the bed, "Then another nine hours after that. It'll be a quick fourteen and a half hours. I promise. You'll be sleeping for a good majority of it, if it makes you feel any better."

"That means I have to get up early," I groaned.

"But we're going to New Zealand, MC," he put in into perspective, "Where was the brief moment of joy we just passed?"

"Behind us," I mumbled into his shoulder, "It'd be easier for me to stay up and crash hard on the plane."

"That's no good for you," V pointed out, "Don't do that. It'll just make you cranky."

"I won't be cranky. I promise."

"That's what you said the last time we went anywhere," V ran his fingers down my arm, "When we landed, you almost punched a flight attendant."

"She shouldn't have tried waking me up," I argued, "If it was you, I wouldn't have gotten as angry, but she was forceful."

"She tapped you on your shoulder."

"Forcefully."

"Go to sleep, MC," V kissed my forehead, "If it's alright with you, and I know it will be, I'll even stay with you."

"Promise?" I nuzzled my face in his ribs.

"More than yours about being cranky," he teased, kicking his shoes off.

"Yay," I let out a tiny yawn, "Good night, baby. I love you."

"I love you, too," V held me close like someone was going to try taking me from him. After the mess with Rika and Mint Eye, I could understand why he was worried. Once that was taken care of, though, Seven did a complete overhaul on the security system (including the removal of the bomb). We'd be perfectly safe. Yet the feeling still lingered.

None of that mattered, though. Especially once we got to Wellington. V wasn't joking. New Zealand was an entirely different world than what we were used to. And now, we'd be able to experience it together. V and I dropped our bags off at our hotel...Our very beautiful and lavish hotel...and took a trip to the cliffs V had told me about when we were discussing photoshoot locations.

"So?" V pulled me to the ground, "What do you think?"

"V..." I could hardly think right now. Everything was such a whirlwind in my head, "I'm speechless..."

"Will you describe it for me?" he asked, resting his head on my shoulder.

"You've been here before," I reminded him, "You know what it looks like."

"I've never seen New Zealand through your eyes," V begged, "Please?"

He did make a compelling argument. And heaven forbid I say no to that face, "Alright. It's...Peaceful. And serene. The cliff's edge looks like it was chiseled perfectly by the crystal blue waters below. It's breathtaking, V. It truly is. And the sun is being swallowed by the horizon line, leaving brilliant brushstrokes of reds and pinks and purples in the sky that will eventually fade into the blackness of night."

"I remember New Zealand very differently," V smiled, "But I like your way better."

"It's so lush and peaceful," I laid my head in his lap, "I can see why you brought me here."

"Can you?" V wondered, "Are you sure about that?"

"For that RFA shoot," I looked up at him, "Why else? Other than for the two of us to have a little time alone. Just you and me, away from the kids."

"You have to feel kind of bad for their babysitter, though," he joked, "It's bad enough she's one of the kids' permanent nanny, but to handle all of them at once on such short notice?"

"Poor Jaehee," I winced, "She can do it, though. I told her to call if she has any problems."

"Well, my love," V ran his hand through my hair, "We should be going. I want us to do our shoot around noon tomorrow. That way, the natural light will cooperate for us."

V's camera was truly a work of art in itself. After he lost his sight, he had no desire to do much of anything. I couldn't stand by and let him wallow like that. What Rika did wasn't his fault and he was having a little trouble realizing that. So, I brought him back to his normal. Seven modified V's favorite camera to better suit his new situation.

Every time it beeped once, the central object was in focus. If it beeped twice, it was out of frame. It didn't take V very long to adjust. Before we knew it, he was back taking pictures of little things around the house. My enamel pins, my cactus in tiny hats, me, if the moment was right. Then, he'd ask for the two of us to take a walk. V wouldn't leave his camera behind. That's when he'd do cityscapes and a few more of me whether I liked it or not. If it brought the light back to V's face, it was entirely worth it.

The next day, late in the afternoon (because I don't think someone took the time to factor in jetlag and how much flying takes out of both of us, yet still had the pipe dream of us shooting at noon), I woke up with V still sleeping so soundly next to me. I don't think this man realized how beautiful he was while he slept. It was unfair. When I slept, I looked like a hot mess. But V...His face had a very angelic quality to it. Thank God, this boy's a heavy sleeper. I slid my phone off the nightstand and opened up the camera. There was no way I was letting this go undocumented. V had plenty of me like this. We could stand to even the score.

I climbed out of bed and got in the shower. It's still so hard to believe we were here. Like it was all a dream I didn't want to wake up from. Being in the RFA was like that, too. Only a couple years have gone by since that day. Since Saeran hacked my phone and brought me to their attention. And only to save him from Rika, too. I never wanted to give any of them up. So, if this is a dream, let me remain completely comatose in my beautiful dream until my soul leaves this life for the next.

My god, being with V has turned me poetic.

I started making myself a little more camera ready and out of nowhere, I heard the bed creak. And here comes the learning curve. One would think all hotel rooms could be set up the same to avoid this kind of thing, but alas. They all lack that kind of foresight.

Thud.

"Ow..."

"V?" I assumed, "You ok, baby?"

"Yeah," he called out, "Stubbed my toe on the coffee table. I'm ok."

"Come here," I chuckled a bit under my breath, "It's a clear path between the coffee table and the bathroom."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

V got his bearings and came to me. His arms snaked around my waist and his face went into my neck, "Now, I know exactly where I am."

"Good morning to you, too," I squirmed under his barrage of kisses, "V!"

"What?" he snuggled me a little more.

"You know damn well what," I giggled.

"Do I?"

"V!"

"Alright, alright," V let me go, "I see I caught you at a bad time."

"It's not necessarily that," I defended, "It was just very sudden."

"I told you when we started dating, MC," he pointed out, "I was never the planner."

"Well then, Mr. Fly by the Seat of Our Pants," I jabbed, "Are we still doing our shoot by the cliffs?"

"Actually, no," V decided, "There's a waterfall not too far from those cliffs. That sounds like a better idea."

V and his spontaneity could be exhausting, but he always kept me on my toes. In all honesty, it's one of my favorite things about our relationship. Once I was ready and V had his camera packed up, the two of us left for this waterfall that would serve as a more perfect backdrop for company pictures. I swear, I saw a fairy or two hovering around the water. This really was a mystical place, wasn't it?

Beep!

Beep!

"That wasn't the camera," V opened up his case.

"My phone," I glanced down at the screen.

[New Chatroom]

"Who is it?" he asked.

"Chatroom opened up!" I beamed, opening the RFA app, "A mother's work is never done."

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Hi there!_

 _707:_

 _MC!_

 _I miss you!_

 _MC:_

 _I miss you, too, Seven._

 _[V has entered the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _And V, too!_

 _Has Hell frozen over?_

 _Am I having a stroke?_

 _V:_

 _Hello, Luciel._

 _We're in the middle of something. Can this wait?"_

 _707:_

 _What kind of thing?_

 _MC:_

 _We're doing a photoshoot for when you do updates for the RFA site._

 _707:_

 _When am I updating the RFA site?_

 _V:_

 _We talked about this. As soon as I get you the pictures._

 _Since we do have a new face of the organization…_

 _707:_

 _A very cute face._

 _V:_

 _Luciel, she's mine._

 _707:_

 _I know. :(_

 _*crying emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _Seven…_

 _We see each other regularly._

 _We screw around like brother and sister._

 _That's just as good._

 _*smiling emoji*_

 _707:_

 _Speaking of my favorite lovebirds…_

 _[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Hi, Jumin._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Hello, MC._

 _[Zen has entered the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _And there's the other!_

 _I swear to you, that wasn't planned._

 _Zen:_

 _Other what?_

 _707:_

 _I was just talking about my favorite lovers._

 _That was intended to be about V and MC._

 _But then!_

 _Like a bat signal!_

 _You and Jumin came in!_

 _Coincidence?_

 ** _I_**

 ** _THINK_**

 ** _NOT!_**

 _[Zen has left the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _Aww…_

 _Did I scare him off?_

 _MC:_

 _I pray for you, Seven._

 _707:_

 _That's so nice of you, MC._

 _*smiling emoji*_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _I'd leave, too…_

 _But unlike Zen_

 _I won't let petty problems distract me._

 _V, you're here?_

 _V:_

 _Yes, I am._

 _Hello, Jumin._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _How's New Zealand?_

 _MC:_

 _It's so beautiful._

 _It's amazing._

 _It's Middle Earth._

 _What's not to love?_

 _707:_

 _Hey…_

 _Hey, V…_

 _V:_

 _Yes, Luciel?_

 _707:_

 _Did you do the thing yet?_

 _V:_

 _Not yet._

 _Soon, though._

 _MC:_

 _Do what?_

 _707:_

 _Nothing…_

 _*suspicious emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _Are you two conspiring?_

 _707:_

 _Of course not!_

 _V:_

 _Luciel, you're digging us both in a hole._

 _707:_

 _I need to stop then?_

 _V:_

 _Yes._

 _707:_

 _People have been telling me that since day one._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _And on day 7665, they still keep telling you._

 _707:_

 _*shocked emoji*_

 _Jumin's keeping track?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Jumin has a calculator on his desk._

 _It's not that hard to figure out._

 _MC:_

 _More importantly…_

 _V…_

 _You said there'd be no more RFA secrets._

 _V:_

 _This isn't directly involved with the RFA._

 _MC:_

 _Then, you don't have a problem telling me about it?_

 _V:_

 _Not yet._

 _You'll find out when the time is right._

 _707:_

 _Let me know how it goes._

 _V:_

 _We will._

 _[V has left the chatroom.]_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Well, that was anticlimactic._

 _Seven, what was he talking about?_

 _707:_

 _The thing._

 _MC:_

 _What thing?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _THE thing?_

 _707:_

 _Yep!_

 _MC:_

 _Jumin, you know, too?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Yes._

 _I'm sorry, MC._

 _I can't tell you._

 _MC:_

 _In that case…_

 _Excuse me, gentlemen._

 _Daddy and I need to have a little talk._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Since when is V Daddy?_

 _707:_

 _Since MC is Mom_

 _V is Dad._

 _Yay, RFA family!_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Seven, have you been tested?_

 _707:_

 _Many times!_

 _I've been told that I'm a genius._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _That's not what…_

 _Never mind._

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

"V," I threw my phone back in my bag, "What was Seven talking about? What thing?"

"You'll see," V sat at the edge of the pool on one of the rocks.

"Hey," I sat in his lap, "You promised me. No more secrets."

"Well," he let out a heavy sigh, "Like I said, it's not directly involving the RFA. It's about you and me."

"Is everything ok?" an instant pit opened up in my stomach.

"Everything's fine," V assured, cradling me against his chest, "Ever since the whole situation with Rika…"

"V," I shut him up right then and there, "Rika didn't deserve you and you know it. Screw her. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life. You cut her out for a reason. Other than that she was a psycho bitch."

"I pity her, you know," he admitted, "It's sad that she went down that path. She really was a very sweet and loving person when we met. We thought it was a good idea at the time, but in hindsight…"

"No," I hushed him, "Remember? You don't need that."

"On the bright side, though," V smiled, snuggling me, "You helped."

"My pleasure," I laid my head in his shoulder.

"I love you, MC," he kissed the top of my head, holding my face between his hands.

"I love you, too." Swept up in the moment, V and I got lost in each other's kiss as the sun began setting behind us. And everything was flawless. I had my boyfriend. I had my ideal vacation spot. It's nice when the planets align just right.

"You're beautiful in this light, MC," V spoke softly in my ear, "Absolutely stunning."

"How would you know?" I jabbed, "You can't see squat."

"I don't have to," he kissed my cheek, "I know."

"Sap," I hid a smile in his chest.

"So," V readjusted me, making sure I didn't fall off, "I went out with Jumin the other day."

"Oh?" I wondered.

"I did," he went on, "I needed his help with something he has more knowledge about than I do."

"And what's that, baby?" Jumin knew a little about a lot of things. Something tells me V wasn't surprising me with a cat. At least I hope not. Watching Elizabeth 3rd once in a while was fine. Having her all the time? I'd shoot myself.

"One of these, "V dug in his pocket, pulling out a small, dark purple box. Slowly, he opened the lid, revealing a light blue gemstone set in a silver band. Instantly, my stomach dropped, "You told me you didn't like diamonds, so I thought aquamarine would be better."

"Better for what?" my voice broke. Was he doing what I think he was doing?

"MC," he hugged me tight, "Do you know why I can forgive Rika for what she did to me?"

"Why?"

"In a way," V smiled, "She gave me you."

"V…"

"However," he continued, "You're not Rika. And you'll never be Rika. She wasn't the one for me like I thought she was. Rika was a mistake. But you, my dear, sweet, smart, amazing MC…You are the first thing that's felt right in a very long time. And never do I ever want to let you go. So, I'm asking…no…begging you…Will you marry me?"

"V…" There was no holding back the tears anymore. I'm just glad he can't see me crying. Although, all his other senses are sharp as a tack.

"No, no," V put his hand to my cheek, "This wasn't supposed to happen. Forget about it. You don't have to tell me."

"V," I swallowed the lump in my throat, "You said this didn't directly involve the RFA, right?"

"Right."

"Meet me in the chatroom, ok?" I kissed his cheek, snaking my engagement ring out of the box. Damn, Jumin. You got taste, but I could still see V in it. In the symbolism. Aquamarine meant something along the lines of peace and serenity. I'd say V found peace in me…

And would you look at that? Everyone's here.

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _Hey, hey!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Hi, MC!_

 _[V has entered the chatroom.]_

 _V:_

 _Hello, Yoosung._

 _Yoosung:_

 _It sure is…_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _What's the occasion you're both here?_

 _V:_

 _Honestly, I don't know._

 _MC just told me to meet her in the chatroom._

 _And here we are._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _What is it, MC?_

 _MC:_

 _Well…_

 _I have a little something to tell all of you._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Don't keep us in suspense._

 _707:_

 _OH MY GOD._

 _MC'S PREGNANT!_

 _CONGRATULATIONS!_

 _DO YOU HAVE ANY NAMES PICKED OUT?_

 _NURSERY COLORS?_

 _CAN I BABYSIT?_

 _Zen:_

 _If MC was pregnant…_

 _Don't you think she would've led with that?_

 _*eyeroll emoji*_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _For once, Zen has a point._

 _Zen:_

 _You can't let me have one, can you?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _What fun is that?_

 _Zen:_

 _*annoyed emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _Jumin…_

 _Apologize._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _What did I do?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Good luck, MC._

 _MC:_

 _If I tell you_

 _You won't learn anything._

 _Apologize._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _…I'm sorry?_

 _MC:_

 _Was that so hard?_

 _Zen:_

 _Valiant effort, MC._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Wow, MC._

 _You're extra mom today._

 _707:_

 _*eye glint emoji*_

 _Hey, V…_

 _V:_

 _Yes, Luciel?_

 _707:_

 _Did you do the thing yet?_

 _MC:_

 _You mean…_

 _*picture of MC's engagement ring on her hand*_

 _This thing…?_

 _Is this the thing?_

 _Zen:_

 _Is that…?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Your ring is pretty MC._

 _MC:_

 _Thank you, Yoosung._

 _But it came with a stipulation._

 _707:_

 _Gee…_

 _I wonder what that could be…_

 _MC:_

 _I did say I had an announcement to make, didn't I?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _And?_

 _MC:_

 _I won't be able to plan RFA parties for a while._

 _Yoosung:_

 _You're leaving?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _MC, you can't do that._

 _Zen:_

 _You've been the best party coordinator we've ever had._

 _Don't go…_

 _MC:_

 _Sorry…_

 _But I'll have a wedding to plan._

 _I won't have the time…_

 _V:_

 _Is that a yes then?_

 _MC:_

 _Of course._

 **A/N: So, we have the happy ending V deserves. And MC, too. I know I already did a proposal, but this one involved the WHOLE family instead of just two characters. And I, for one, found this chapter very heartwarming and fuzzy feeling inducing. But just so you know, the next chapter I post in December, it's going to be Seven's route. And we're starting with the bad end. I hope you're mentally prepared for that. See you next chapter. xx**


	14. 707: Bad Route

**A/N: Hi, guys! You've had an update recently. Everything's fine with you guys. I don't need to run you through the NaNo stats for the year. I got it done. 66,000 words. Dystopian/utopian sci-fi. Will be posting on Fiction Press. Now, how about a new route, yeah? This week and next week will be the resident fan favorite. The actual cutie pie of the RFA. The little angel that's hacked his way into our hearts. Noiz from Dramatical Murder with more of a personality and less anger. The one, the only…*ahem* GOD 707! DEFENDER OF JUSTICE! (was definitely not paid to say that.** ** _Seven, from the back: Shut up, Lumi! That's supposed to be one of those things we keep on the DL, so people think I'm cool!_** **You are cool, you moron. Now, keep in mind, this is going to be the BAD ROUTE. And it's Seven, so this isn't going to be an easy chapter. I suggest getting a small animal to hold. Real or stuffed, it's up to you. Right now, my dog is clocked out on my couch, so she's otherwise occupied like a good little bean. Good luck and godspeed, my babies. And uh…Hang in there. (Also, I just realized that I unintentionally did a closet cosplay of MC today. All I'm missing is a long, dark wig. The only one I have is black and a tangled mess that needs to get in some fabric softener. Oops.)**

 **Also! If you are reading this in the future: READ THIS PART LAST. THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE OTHER ROUTES IN THIS CHAPTER. I KNOW YOU WANT TO START WITH SEVEN. WE ALL DO BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A DOLL, BUT TRUST ME. READ THIS ONE LAST. GO READ THE OTHER ROUTES FIRST AND COME BACK TO THIS ONE. GO ON. GET. Unless you've already done the other routes…**

At the end of the day, a girl just needed her best friend. Right now, that was exactly what I was going to get. Ever since I stumbled into the RFA, only one of them has managed to get me better than anyone else. Seven and I had a weird connection I could never have with the others. Not that they're not great in their own ways, but Seven…We clicked differently. And I felt so stupid for not realizing this sooner. But…I had to tell him.

I went up to his house and knocked on the door like a civilian. One of these days, I really should consider taking up Arabic. All of Seven's cars were here. He had to be home. As a shocking turn of events, though, Seven wasn't the one to greet me at the door, but Saeran instead. Not that I'm complaining.

"What do you want?" he asked, staring an uninterested hole through me.

"Is your brother here?" I peeked inside.

"Nope," Saeran played with the lollipop in his mouth, making this even more awkward and uncomfortable.

"Well," I gave him a look, "Do you know when he'll be back?"

"Eventually."

I know we just got him out of a cult a couple years ago, but one would think Saeran would stop digging his heels in by now. We were all just trying to help. We had to be patient with him, though. That's what ever doctor and specialist we've taken him to has said. And we could all do that much for him. God only knows what he hasn't told anyone.

"Alright," I left him alone, "Will you at least tell Seven I was here please?"

"I could," Saeran took the white stick out of his mouth, only to replace it shortly after, "But will I?"

"Please, Saeran," I begged, "I don't ask much of you."

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes, "Fine. I'll tell Saeyoung you stopped by."

"Thank you," I smiled, "I appreciate it."

"Can I go back to my very busy afternoon now?" Saeran grumbled, "Without interruptions?"

"Watching Project Runway is what constitutes as a busy afternoon for you?" I teased, "I love you to death, Saeran, but you really need to get out more."

"I wasn't watching Project Runway," he got defensive.

"It's paused on the TV, sweetheart."

"Get out!" Saeran slammed the door in my face and went back to his Project Runway. I could hear him yelling at the screen about one of his favorites getting kicked off.

So, no Seven, huh? Where the hell would he be? Probably a question to have asked Saeran before I left. If he was on foot, he couldn't be too far. I checked the shop windows on my way back home. Seven would make quite the formidable opponent for a rousing game of hide and seek. And a citywide game isn't something I'd put past him. It wasn't entirely out of character.

It was nothing for him to call me up at one o'clock in the morning when he couldn't sleep and we go to a drag strip. Or it'd be eleven o'clock and we'd catch a midnight movie. Any time his face popped up on my screen, I knew it was going to be an adventure of some sort and of epic proportions. That's why I could never send him to voicemail.

But this didn't feel like that. Where the hell is Seven? Maybe he's working a job somewhere and Saeran brought his car home? That seemed pretty accurate. I'm sure he'll be home soon. Then again, these jobs can take him anywhere from a few hours to an entire month. Once he was working a job from home and Saeran called me freaking out because Seven passed out from exhaustion. I had to come over and help him take care of our lovable little idiot.

A little while later, I went back to Seven's and knocked on the door. Just as it was before, I was met at the door with nothing but saltiness and a bit of anger, "What do you want now, MC?"

"Is he back yet?" I wondered.

"No," Saeran grumbled, "God, MC. Don't you have anything better to do than stalk my brother?"

"I'm not stalking him," I promised, "I'm just worried. And I really need to talk to him."

"About what?"

"That's between us," I shot him down, "It's really important."

"You can tell me, can't you?" he tried coaxing it out of me.

But I wasn't having it, "No, Saeran. It's between Seven and me. I don't know where you factor in on this yet."

"Fine," Saeran pouted, "I'll tell him you stopped by. Again."

"Go back to your Project Runway," I allowed.

"I'M NOT WATCHING PROJECT RUNWAY!"

"Alright!" I let it go, "Cupcake Wars! Whatever you decided today!"

"Ugh!" Saeran slammed the door again and I went back home. Where in the hell was my best friend? I only knew of one person that knew his whereabouts better than his brother and better than me. But getting a hold of V was next to impossible, too.

For the next week, I kept myself distracted with general RFA stuff. Planning the parties, responding to emails. Normalcy. I was still pretty worried about Seven, though. He wasn't answering my calls or my texts. It's like he fell off the face of the Earth. Images of him passed out like he was the one time burned in my brain. I just hope he's ok. I opened up the RFA app just to see if anyone was on. Lo and behold, by some miracle, V's icon appeared in the chat. And I wasn't going to pass up the opportunity.

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _V:_

 _Hello, MC_

 _MC:_

 _Hi, V! What's the occasion you're in here?_

 _V:_

 _Sitting on a flight trying to kill time._

 _How are you?_

 _MC:_

 _A little scrambled lately._

 _I actually have a question for you._

 _V:_

 _For me?_

 _*confused emoji*_

 _What's that?_

 _MC:_

 _Do you got Seven on a job?_

 _V:_

 _Not lately._

 _Why?_

 _MC:_

 _I need to talk to him._

 _It's super important._

 _But he's just gone dark._

 _V:_

 _Do you want me to try talking to him?_

 _MC:_

 _No._

 _Thank you, but I have to do this._

 _V:_

 _Good luck._

 _MC:_

 _Do you know where he'd even be right now?_

 _V:_

 _I don't know._

 _When was the last time you heard from him?_

 _MC:_

 _A little over a month ago._

 _V:_

 _There is one way to get his attention._

 _He never turns down an RFA party._

 _MC:_

 _Is this just your way of getting me to work harder?_

 _Because that's a dick move, V._

 _V:_

 _Not my intention_

 _Fact. Luciel won't turn down an RFA party ever._

 _It's shooting Yoosung in a barrel._

 _MC:_

 _That's true._

 _But this isn't something that needs to be said at an RFA party._

 _It feels too much like trapping him._

 _V:_

 _I tried._

 _MC:_

 _And your efforts are appreciated._

 _I think I'll try again in the morning._

 _V:_

 _You should get some sleep, MC._

 _It's late._

 _MC:_

 _Ok._

 _Thank you for hearing me out, V._

 _V:_

 _My pleasure._

 _Good luck with Luciel._

 _Good night, MC._

 _MC:_

 _Good night._

 _[V has left the chatroom.]_

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

As long as he's still taking care of himself, that's all I care about. It wouldn't surprise me if Seven put himself on the back burner. That's usually what he had Vanderwood before, but I've talked to Vanderwood and Seven hasn't said anything to anyone. You're overthinking, MC. Just go to sleep. You can go see Seven in the morning. At the very least, you can see Saeran and that's not so bad. But I wanted to see his brother even more.

When I woke up, I hoped that someone had heard my prayers. I checked my phone and found no messages, no chats, no one trying to get a hold of me. Not too unusual. I took a quick shower and got dressed and headed back to Seven's place. Come on. Be home. All your cars are here. Your unicycle's here. Your bicycle is here. You're not walking anywhere unless it's dire. I need to talk to you, Seven. Catch my mental telepathy.

Knock, knock.

"Oh," Seven opened the door and I was thanking every deity in the book, "Hey, MC."

"Hi," I threw my arms around him and hugged him tight, "I'm so happy to see you."

"I'm here," he assured, "I do live here. This is my house. There are many like it, but this one is mine."

"I've been trying to get a hold of you for a straight week now!" I squeaked.

"I'm sure."

"Saeran did tell you, right?" I assumed.

"I told him!" Saeran yelled over an episode of Cake Boss.

"He did tell me," Seven confirmed.

"I have to tell you something," I took his hand, "Do you have somewhere we can go talk?"

"Sure," he brought me inside, "Car bed?"

"I always thought you were joking about the car bed," I giggled, "Until I saw it for myself. The car bed is fine."

Seven's car bed was oddly comfortable. When he told me the story behind it, he said he felt bad about having a car cut apart for the sake of having a place to sleep, but in the end, he did it, and I'm quoting here, for the aesthetic. He invited Yoosung over to see it and Yoosung nearly threw up while he was laying in the fetal position. The amount of money that car was worth could put him through school for the next ten years, yet Seven had it cut up to be his bed.

"So," Seven jumped into bed, "What did you want to talk about, MC? What did you have to tell me?"

"I've realized something lately," I told him, "After a lot of thinking and a little soul searching, my time with the RFA has shown me so many wonderful things."

"It's a fantastic organization," he agreed.

"But the best thing that's come out of it," I smiled, "is you."

"What about me?"

"Seven…" I blushed a bit, "You're the best friend I've ever had, but maybe…We could…I think I'm in love with you."

His face remained creepily blank. There was nothing there. No reaction. Aren't people supposed to show a little emotion in situations like this? Seven didn't even flinch, "So, now you finally realize it, huh?"

"And I'm so stupid for taking this long," I admitted, "But I do. I love you, Seven. More than anyone else. We click on the weirdest levels that no one else would understand, but you do. And that's why I love you."

"Or, in simpler terms," Seven wouldn't even look at me anymore, "All of your other options have been exhausted, so why not settle with me now?"

A giant black hole opened up in the pit of my stomach, "What? No. Of course not."

"No," he stopped me, "That's exactly what it is. I'm the last resort. I always have been."

"Seven," I reached for his hand, but like a reflex, he jerked it away, "Seven, you're not the last resort."

"You're lying to me!" Seven snapped. I've never seen him angry before. Scared, yes. Angry? This was a first, "Think about it, MC. You've been with everyone else, haven't you?"

I wasn't sure why, but all of a sudden, a massive wave of guilt washed over me, "I've never…"

"You have been," he went on, "You were Jumin's pet turned his dominatrix. I saw that camera footage and let me tell you. I might have gotten nauseous a few times. But then, he took such good care of you through that thunderstorm. He didn't even know you were afraid of storms, MC. But you know who did? Me. The guy that stood by, being supportive of your relationship. Then, you were all sweet with Yoosung, who was a bit psycho at first. He beat me within an inch of my life just for hanging out with you, but what did you do? You turn around and nurse him back to health after he gets the flu."

"Seven…" my voice broke, "Please…"

"Oh, there's more," Seven's heart wrenching tirade continued, "There was that time you were stalking Zen, but then, you get to turn around and be his Juliet. I believe they call that Stockholm Syndrome, right?"

"Seven," a lump swelled in the back of my throat, "Stop…"

"I haven't even gotten to your brief tryst with Jaehee," he snarled, "When you were worse than Jumin to her. She doesn't deserve that and you know it. She trusted you and you stabbed her in the back and for what? So, you could get a one-night stand with Zen, FULLY aware that Jaehee wanted a relationship? But that doesn't matter because instead, you're not going to have a relationship with Zen. You're going to propose to Jaehee and you two are going to live happily ever after. Except you're not. It's not like Jaehee would've ever gone through with the wedding unless it said just friends in your vows. Instead, you're going to go have a little fling with my brother first. Ever think about what I'd have to say about that?"

"If you want me to go," I could hardly speak, "I'll go. Just stop…"

"When I told you that you'd be good for him, MC," Seven glared a hole through me, "I meant more as like a mother figure to help him get his head back on straight, not dating. He didn't need that coming off of Mint Eye. Maybe a few years down the road, but not six months after. But then…Then, there was you and V. You and V might even be the worst. You knew what he had gone through. You knew the kind of burden on that man's shoulders. Yet you still brought her up. You still made comparisons of how you're not her. Don't say it. Try proving it. You know…I thought I would've been happy about that engagement. Do you know what I did after I found out V was thinking about proposing to you?"

"No…"

"I nearly drove one of my cars off a cliff," he confessed, "I tried to be happy for you. I really did. But I would've been so much happier if you would've been running off with me. Day in and day out, I had to watch you live your happily ever afters over and over and over and over again. A new day, a new person in your life that got to love you and hold you while I sat in the back and waited for when that could've possibly been me. That day never came. And now, here you are, after you've been through everyone else, saying that you love me?"

"I do love you, Seven." Tears ran down my cheeks.

"MC," Seven's voice finally began to break, "I've loved you for so long. Almost since day one. Since I started watching the cameras in Rika's apartment. That became the highlight of my day. Any time I'd come back from a job, I knew I was coming home to those surveillance cameras and I'd be able to see you. It didn't matter how tired I was. I knew they were always there. And you were always there. But then…That first RFA party…I wasn't sure what my head and my heart were trying to do to me when I saw you. Outside of the tiny boxes. You were there. I could physically touch you. I could hold you. You were right there. I could finally have you. But then…Someone else would sweep you off your feet before I even got the chance. And now…I've been rejected by you so much, MC. I can't handle it anymore. I just can't do it. I've seen what it's done to the others, even though they don't remember it. How long would it be before I'd meet the same fate?"

"You wouldn't…"

"MC," he wept, "I want you to leave. I want you to forget the RFA was ever even a thing and I never want you to come back. I'm sorry I put you through this, but go. One Rika was enough. We don't need another one…"

Without another word, despite every fiber of my being wanting to stay and fight for him, he was right. I left Seven hurting in the shadows so many times. I was so arrogant to think I ever deserved someone like him. After everything I've done…I'm sorry, Seven…I'm so sorry.

 **A/N: I'm sorry that this is up so late (getting back into the swing of things after NaNo season is kind of a pain in the ass) and that it's so mean. As always, though, I pinky promise that it's going to be MUCH better and MUCH easier next week than this one was. I'm available in the inbox for emotional support and regularly scheduled scoldings for giving such a dickish guilt trip. I thought, "What would be the worst thing for Seven to do?" and apparently, the answer to that question is to straight up reject MC. And I feel like a terrible person for it. So, I will see you next chapter, ok? xx**


	15. 707: Good Route

"And you're sure you're not settling?" Seven worried, unable to look me in the eye, "You're not thinking about running off with Jumin or Zen?"

"Seven.."

"Just tell me now," he cut me off, his hands still shaking, "If you want to leave, I understand. Just go and I won't hold any resentment."

"Seven..."

"But I want you to know that I won't stop loving you," he promised, forcing tears back, "So, that might be a problem down the road with whoever else you pick over me."

"Luciel," I pressed my lips against his, getting him to settle down and stop spiraling, "We just got married. Do you really thing I'm settling?"

"You're not settling?" Seven hoped.

"Of course not."

"And you're not going to run off with someone else?"

"Look, Seven," I steadied his shakes, If I wanted to run off with someone else, I wouldn't have married you. I love you and only you. I'm not settling. I'm not choosing you as a last resort. It is you. It's always been you. It only took me eleven days to fall in love with you. And it will never be anyone other than you."

"Are you sure?" Seven started to relax, "You could have Jumin. He's got money AND a cat! All I got is money and a Saeran. Wait a minute...Can I marry Jumin? I kind of want to marry Jumin now. Is that something you'd be cool with?"

"No, you moron," I let out a heavy sigh, kissing my new husband. It was weird to think of him like that now. But on the inside, I knew. He was still the same giant dork I fell in love with, "You're not marrying Jumin. You already married me. No take backsies."

"Yes, I did," he wrapped his arms around me. For the rest of our lives, it was going to be Seven and me. It wasn't exactly the wedding at the space station he wanted (I tried to swing it. I really did. But no such luck.), but a small ceremony with our friends and family was more than perfect. And a few days off the grid would be exactly what we needed.

I have no idea how Seven knew where to find a private island in the middle of the ocean, but I learned to stop asking when it comes to Seven. This boy was a total enigma wrapped in lame puns and infinite memes since the day we met. That was half the reason why I loved him. But the other half...Well...The other half was the reason why we didn't venture out on the island much. Seven tells everyone how much of an innocent saint he is. However, I knew better. I knew what kind of a sinner our beloved 707 could be.

After the honeymoon was over, I still had the same buzz. And Seven could hardly keep his hands off me. Even while he was working and he didn't have to go on location, I'd be sitting in his lap. Awake, asleep. We were practically inseparable. Learning to tune out Saeran's gagging whenever we were being cute took a week or so, but he'd just turn up his Hell's Kitchen and go about our day. We were careful around Saeran, though. Seven and I were still taking care of him after Mint Eye, but he's made quite a bit of progress and we were proud of him for that.

Now that Seven and I were married, that came with a few things I had to learn and I had to learn them quick. The strange little quirks that both he and Saeran had. Getting used to Vanderwood coming in at all hours of the day. Seven occasionally being gone. And most importantly, how to come in through the front door. Because Seven handled highly classified information and it needed to be protected. Where have I heard that one before?

"Now," Seven asked me, "What's the door password, MC?"

"Um..." I thought for a minute. The front door was voice activated and my Arabic wasn't exactly perfect. Lucky for me, though, Seven was fluent enough to teach me some. It'd be a major life essential if I was going to live here and not get blown up at the door, "Tarak alqut, right?"

"That's right," he praised, "And what does that translate to?"

"Leave the cat?" I took a total guess.

"Yay!" Seven threw his arms around me, "Very good, Mrs. Choi. I'm so proud. You've picked Arabic up pretty quick. Are you sure you didn't know any Arabic before this?"

"Positive," I giggled. This was the man I married. Hold onto him, MC. Hold onto him and never let him go.

"In that case," Seven had a hunger in his eyes and a dirty little grin on his face, "Would you care to be rewarded for being so smart? Wink?"

"Sweetheart, we're married," I rolled my eyes at him, "You don't have to wink. And you definitely don't have to say wink, you dork."

"I'm your dork, though," he started kissing down my neck.

"Then, to the bedroom, Mr. Choi?"

"Yes, ma'am." Seven wouldn't say no to me. He didn't on the island. That's for sure. Then again, I wasn't complaining. Seven was good at what he did. If I was in the right mood, watching him type over a hundred words a minute would make me sweat. And tonight was the perfect way to cap off the day. Just me, my husband, and our bed. That's all we needed. And that's why we give Saeran noise canceling headphones for Christmas.

The next morning, I woke up in the car bed by myself. What the hell, Seven? I rolled over and looked at my phone. Damn near noon. Alright. Now, I understand why I'm by myself. My god, MC. Late night? In my defense, Seven and I could make a night feel like an eternity. Although...I smelled breakfast. Pancakes? Cinnamon roll pancakes. Yes, please. I got out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen. No dishes in the sink. Pancakes wrapped up and still on the counter. I had the best husband ever.

I headed up a couple in the microwave and drenched them in maple syrup and cream cheese frosting. Seven's pancakes were a gift from God. I only woke up to these when it was my birthday or he was apologizing. My birthday wasn't for another few months and I don't think Seven's done anything wrong. I saw him sitting in the middle of the living room floor with a laptop, idly scrolling through the internet.

"Morning, Seven," I had my hands full of pancakes and a cup of chai tea. But he didn't flinch.

"Seven...?"

Nothing. Did I do something? Was it because of last night? Normally, when I ask him to open up the cosplay closet, he's all for it. He didn't have a problem with it last night. Although, him wanting to wear my wedding dress the night we got married was where I drew the line. But he was cool with that. At least I thought he was cool with that.

"Luciel..."

I still didn't get anything. Not a hi. Not a hello. Not a good morning, my beloved 606. Not even a witty retort about me sleeping so late. What did I do to piss him off? I needed something to make him pay attention to me and I was almost desperate enough to stand in front of him stark naked.

"Saeyoung..."

He STILL didn't listen! But then, a subtle difference caught my eye. Seven never ever took his wedding ring off. Instead of a gold band on his left finger, he wore a black ring with a light teal stone set in it along with another ring on his thumb. Son of a bitch, I'm being parent trapped...

"Saeran, you little shit!" I snapped.

"Good morning," Saeran didn't break his concentration, continuing on with the emulator he found online, "Or afternoon in this case."

"You guys have to stop doing that," I threw myself on the couch with my breakfast in hand.

"It was Saeyoung's idea," he threw his other half under the bus without hesitation, "He gave me one of his hoodies and told me to see how long until you realized it wasn't him."

"What am I going to do with you two?" I groaned, throwing my head into the arm of the couch.

"Not my fault you married him," Saeran argued.

"And I'd do it all again," I got defensive. Wow…Even for me, that came out of left field.

"Are you ok?" he asked, just as taken aback by it as I was.

"I think I'm coming down with something," I brushed him off, "Where's your brother?"

"He left half an hour ago," Saeran explained, "He said he had a quick job to do. He'll be back tonight."

"That's good," I started attractively stuffing my face.

Beep!

Oh…Would you look at that?

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Yoosung:_

 _MC!_

 _Zen:_

 _Are you ok?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _We heard you weren't feeling well._

 _MC:_

 _How in the hell did you…?_

 _Never mind._

 _I should know better than to ask._

 _Yoosung:_

 _What's wrong?_

 _[Unknown has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _I'm just feeling a little off._

 _I'm sure I'm fine._

 _Unknown:_

 _Don't pester her about it._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Do you think you caught something on your honeymoon, MC?_

 _MC:_

 _I don't know. Maybe._

 _And Saeran, we're in the same room._

 _What are you doing in the RFA chatroom?_

 _Unknown:_

 _If I'm in the chat_

 _It makes it easier for the outside source to format things._

 _That way, our conversations can continue._

 _[Admin has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Admin:_

 _Thank you, Saeran!_

 _And…_

 _Well…_

 _Sorry for that unpleasant business during your route._

 _Unknown:_

 _The killing my brother part or the Lord of the Rings part?_

 _Admin:_

 _Uh…_

 _Both?_

 _Unknown:_

 _Water under the bridge._

 _Admin:_

 _Thank you!_

 _[Admin has left the chatroom.]_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _What was that all about?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _A bot?_

 _A hacker?_

 _A HACKER BOT?_

 _Zen:_

 _I doubt it._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Zen's right._

 _…That hurts to say._

 _Zen:_

 _Shut up, Jumin_

 _*eyeroll emoji*_

 _MC:_

 _I'm sure I'll be fine._

 _Just a stomach thing._

 _It'll probably go away in a day or so._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Do you want me to send anything?_

 _Unknown:_

 _And I'm so incapable of taking care of her?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _MC, where's Seven?_

 _MC:_

 _Working. :(_

 _Zen:_

 _V got him on a job?_

 _Unknown:_

 _Not V._

 _Some other guy._

 _He said he'd be quick._

 _MC:_

 _But he's still not home._

 _It's just Saeran and me._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Are you sure you'll be ok, though, MC?_

 _MC:_

 _Probably._

 _Unknown:_

 _MC, you're lying._

 _MC:_

 _Shut up, Saeran._

 _Unknown:_

 _I can see you._

 _MC:_

 _And I can see you._

 _Shut up._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _MC…_

 _You'd tell us if it was life threatening, wouldn't you?_

 _MC:_

 _Of course I would._

 _Excuse me._

 _[MC has left the chatroom.]_

 _[Unknown has left the chatroom.]_

"Saeran, you asshole!" I snapped, "That wasn't for you to say! If there was something they needed to know about, I would've said something, but no! You had to stick your nose where it didn't belong!"

"What the hell got into you?" Saeran jumped, "They were worried you, MC. I thought you RFA types were all close."

"We are!" I growled, "Get your keys!"

"Why?" he scrambled for his car keys.

"Mental math says we're going to the drug store!"

Saeran was right. Things weren't ok. When I told the others things were fine, that was more for Seven than anyone else. On the off chance he had a break while he was working and decided to check the chatroom. I didn't want him to worry unless there was something to worry about. And now, if he goes in the chatroom and reads our messages, he's going to think I'm dying. Honest to God, Saeran. You should know how your own brother works better.

I left Saeran in the car with the window cracked and went in the store, holding my breath. Come on, MC. You're a big girl. You're a married woman. Your husband loves you. Your friends love you. Your new brother asked you for a soda while you were in here. I'm pretty sure he's got the same appreciation for Dr. Pepper his brother has. Saeran didn't specify what he wanted. Once I got him a bottle, I saw the two words that made me want to throw up my breakfast: Family planning.

There were a million and one different kinds here. What the hell am I supposed to get? A test? Plan B? Screw it. I'll just get a test. I'm sure I'm just overreacting and everything's fine. Even if it's not…We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, right? I felt the stares of judgment as I went up to the counter with three tests, a massive bottle of water, and a bottle of Dr. Pepper. I'm a married woman at twenty-four. Why are you all glaring at me? Just holding the boxes in my hand felt like they burned me. Relax, MC. Although this is something VERY stressful, stress is the last thing you need right now.

When we got home, I threw Saeran his soda and I locked myself in the bathroom. There was a mile and a half between our house and the drug store. My water bottle was the size of my forearm. It was full when we left the parking lot and empty by the time we got home. I've never had to pee so bad in my life. I did have three tests to take.

"MC," Saeran knocked, "Can you at least tell me what's going on? And what's actually going on, not the bullshit story you'd spin for them."

"Not now, Saeran," my voice broke as I sat and waited for the first test to come up.

"MC…" he begged, "Please."

"I said, not right now," I shook, watching the results come up…Was that a little plus sign? Happy place, MC. Happy place, "If you want to help, go get me another bottle of water."

"Ok."

At least my little fetch quest would get Saeran out of my hair for a minute or two. Do I pee on them again? Two out of three kind of thing? I knew we should've gone to the mainland for a day. We should've played video games that rainy day. Watched some Netflix. But it was our honeymoon. No one would be able to blame us.

"Here, MC," Saeran stuck the bottle in the crack in the door, "Whatever it is, you'll be ok. You're pretty resilient."

"Thanks, Saeran," I smiled a bit, downing the other bottle in barely a few drinks, "I appreciate you doing my nitpicky running, but I think I should be left alone right now. You did tell the others not to pester me about this."

"Fair enough," he gave me my space. And after sitting in the bathroom another fifteen minutes, I was good to pee again. And we wait…For another positive test. There was two. Did I need to take a third one? No. I needed to process what was happening the best way I knew how. Curl up in bed, cover myself up, and take a well-deserved nap.

"Honey," a soft, warm voice joined me in bed, wrapping his arms around me, "I'm home."

"Hey," I rubbed my eyes, "What time is it?"

"A little after six," Seven cradled me, "What are you doing, sleeping without me? I thought we did that nap thing together."

"You were working," I pointed out, "Otherwise I would've waited."

"You feeling ok?" he worried, "Saeran said you were acting kind of weird and the chatroom didn't help matters."

I thought I was going to throw up again. No, MC. It takes two to do that. Just tell him, "We need to talk…"

"Is it serious?" Seven grabbed us another blanket, "Sounds serious."

"It is serious," I winced, "Have you been in our bathroom since you've been home?"

"I just walked in the door," he shook his head, "Why?"

"Seven…" I took a deep breath, suppressing the nauseam in the back of my throat, "Remember about a month ago? That little island you took me to?"

"Off the coast of Japan," he smiled, "How can I ever forget that?"

"Well…" Here goes nothing, "Seven, I'm pregnant."

I swear to God, I could see a little buffer wheel in my husband's eyes, "What?"

"Yeah," I confirmed, "There are two tests in the bathroom with little pluses on them and one of them is unopened."

"So…" Seven froze. I wasn't sure if it was out of panic or shock, "You're…?"

"Yeah."

"And I'm going to be a…?"

"Yeah."

I still couldn't gauge his reaction. Seven was a tricky creature, "And you're not joking?"

"The tests are still on the bathroom counter."

Seven got up and went into the bathroom to look at the tests. Then, he jumped back onto the bed, "You're really pregnant?!"

"Keep it down, Luciel!" I snapped, "The whole world doesn't need to know it yet!"

"Why not?" he beamed, hugging me tight, "MC, you're pregnant!"

"You're not mad?" I worried.

"Why would I be?" Seven settled me, "I was there, too. Unless you were having sex with the milkman."

"We don't have a milkman," I laid my head in his shoulder.

"MC," his voice cracked a little, "I'm so happy. We're going to have a baby. There's a little 633 in your belly."

"What's a 633?"

"You'll see," Seven giggled a little, "Hey, Saeran!"

"WHAT?" Saeran came in, "I'm watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. What do you want?"

"You're going to be an uncle!" Seven sang out.

"Seven," I gave him a little swat to the shoulder.

"What?" he defended, "This kid's half mine. I'm allowed to tell people."

"But you're not the one carrying," I retaliated, "You keep your mouth shut for the time being. Saeran, you, too."

"Wait," Saeran finally joined the rest of us on the same page, "You're pregnant?"

"Yep."

"That explains why you were so bitchy." Out of reflex, I grabbed a pillow from behind me and whipped it at my brother-in-law's head, "And how long can I be expecting that?"

"Probably the next eight months," I glared.

"Fantastic," Saeran left us alone again and went back to his trip to Flavortown.

All while I laid in bed with the man I loved. I really thought calling him my husband would be as weird as it would get for now. Adding father of our child to that would be even weirder. 707, defender of justice. Seven. Luciel. Saeyoung…This man had so many names. So many people called him so many things. And now, the little angel in my womb would call him Daddy. Oh, god. Twins…Twins run in the Choi family…

 **A/N: Well, kids. That's the end of the Mystic Messenger series. I'm going to try and get some extras out before the end of the year. Also, I want to take a minute to appreciate my headcanon of Saeran watching shitty reality TV. And Seven's nickname for the baby already. Do any of you know what a 633 error is? It means a computer does not support sleep mode. And I thought it'd be pretty clever to use that for a baby. I'm so happy for them. I really am. But for now, I'm going to go take care of an outline for tomorrow's update for FictionPress. Next week, there's a good chance that it's going to be a Yoosung extra about his trip to Guatemala. See you next chapter! xx**


	16. Yoosung's Adventures in Guatemala

Ow…My head hurts. Hold on…This isn't my bed. Or my room. Or my apartment. I did a quick look out the window and saw a dirty, rundown alleyway. Where the hell was I?! I'm pretty sure I've never been here before! A man cleared his throat in the bathroom. Wherever this was, I wasn't alone and that didn't sound like anyone I knew. A strange man, a strange part of town…and my pants are gone. I had to relax. Retrace my steps. It all started at that RFA party…

Everyone was there. Except for V, which was no surprise, but I wasn't going to hold it against him. Besides, I had MC there. Even though she was there with Zen, I loved being in her company. She gave off such a wonderful energy and her smile was so infectious. I just liked being around her. In a perfect world, I'd be around her more often, but unfortunately, our paths only cross in person at RFA parties. At least I still got to talk to her every day. I got up from my table to actually mingle a little bit before I was intercepted by one of the more…eccentric members.

"Hey, hey, sweet thing," Seven slid next to me with a glass in his hand.

"Uh…" I wasn't quite sure how to feel here, "Hi, Seven. What's up?"

"You thirsty, Yoosung?" he offered me his glass.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I'm parched. What is this?"

"It's…" Seven hesitated, "It's sparkling cider."

"I don't drink," I turned him down, "But thanks anyway."

"There's no alcohol in sparkling cider," he assured, "Unless you want some. Because I'd rather you drink in the house"

"No," I shook my head, taking the glass. In hindsight, that was my first mistake, "I'll take the straight cider. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure, buddy," Seven gave me a pat on the back.

I took my first drink and nearly spat it back out, "What kind of cider was that?"

"Just take another drink," he insisted, "The first one is always rough. It's all the carbonation."

"Ok," I took another drink, getting a better taste of it, "Huh…This isn't bad. What kind of cider is this, Seven?"

"Grape," Seven grinned, making me nervous, "Kind of nice, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I drank some more, "This is really good."

"You know what else is good in it?" he suggested, taking a bag out of God knows where, "Cotton candy."

"Why not?" I was already this far down the rabbit hole. And far be it for me to turn down something sweet.

"There you go, Yoosung," Seven was awfully adamant about me staying hydrated, "Drink up."

I should've known better. I hate when he takes advantage of my ignorance like that. No…It's not his fault. Not entirely, anyway. It's no wonder MC ran off to fall in love with Zen. He was much more of a man than me. Zen wouldn't have let Seven mess with him like that. And Zen wouldn't have ended up in wherever I was. I still needed to find out where here was.

"Buenos dias, mi pequeño amigo," the man came out of the bathroom, "Como estas?"

"Who are you?" I freaked. The man's deep, thunderous voice definitely matched his giant stature, "And where are we?!"

"No need to be so nervous," he sat on the bed, "You got pretty out of hand last night. It's Yoosung, right?"

"Yeah…" What did he mean? I don't get out of hand, "Where are we? And who are you?"

"We're in Guatemala," he told me, "And my name is Lupe."

"WHAT?!" This was getting to be more than I could handle. Don't cry, Yoosung. Don't you start crying, "What am I doing in Guatemala?!"

"Dios mio, you did have a lot last night," Lupe laughed at my expense, "After I tried leaving the RFA party last night, you said you wanted to come with me."

"Why would I say that?"

"You said you didn't want to miss me," he explained, "So, off handedly, I asked you if you wanted to come with me and here we are."

"Not to sound rude or anything," I apologized, "But do you know where my phone is?"

"On the table," Lupe grabbed it for me along with my pants, "Here."

"Thanks," I scrolled through my contacts looking for the best one to call in a situation like this.

"Hello?"

"MC!" the floodgates opened, "I'm scared!"

"Yoosung?" she worried, "What's wrong? And where are you? We've been trying to get a hold of you for the past couple days."

"Couple days?!" How long have I been out of it?

"I'm just glad to hear from you," MC sighed out, "We can stop assuming the worst now. So, where the hell are you?"

"I'm in Guatemala!" I wept, "Seven gave me some sparkling cider and that's the last I remember anything! There's this guy, Lupe, here and I'm scared! MC! I want to come home!"

"Yoosung," she comforted, "Meet me in the chatroom. I'll get a hold of the others and we can talk about this, ok?"

"Ok," I sniffed, "I'll be there in a second."

"Me, too."

 _[MC has entered the chatroom.]_

 _[Yoosung has entered the chatroom.]_

 _[Zen has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Zen:_

 _YOOSUNG!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _Zen!_

 _MC:_

 _I found Yoosung!_

 _Or should I say…_

 _Yoosung found me._

 _[Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.]_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _I just got your message, MC._

 _You found Yoosung?_

 _[Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom.]_

 _MC:_

 _Yeah._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Are you alright, Yoosung?_

 _Yoosung:  
For the most part, yeah._

 _[V has entered the chatroom.]_

 _V:_

 _Yoosung…_

 _Thank God, you're ok._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Yep._

 _MC:_

 _Hold on…_

 _We're missing one…_

 _Where's Seven?_

 _Zen:_

 _Did you text him?_

 _MC:_

 _I texted everyone._

 _V:_

 _You want me to try getting a hold of him?_

 _MC:_

 _I'm sure if we say his name three times, he'll show up._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _I know you're joking, MC._

 _But that seems like it'd actually work._

 _MC:_

 _Seven…_

 _Seven…_

 _Seven…_

 _[707 has entered the chatroom.]_

 _707:_

 _YOOSUNG! YOU'RE ALIVE!_

 _Yoosung:_

 _And I'm in Guatemala!_

 _I'm scared!_

 _And I want to go home!_

 _*crying emoji*_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _We'll get you home, Yoosung._

 _It'll be alright._

 _Zen:_

 _How the hell did you get to Guatemala?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _I hardly remember._

 _According to Lupe, I asked to go with him after the RFA party._

 _MC:_

 _Seven…_

 _You're awfully quiet._

 _707:_

 _What?_

 _I can't be quiet?_

 _MC:_

 _No._

 _Zen:_

 _No._

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _No._

 _Yoosung:_

 _No._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _No._

 _V:_

 _No._

 _707:_

 _Gee…_

 _Thanks for having my back, guys._

 _MC:_

 _It's true, though._

 _What did you do?_

 _707:_

 _Well…_

 _I woke up this morning._

 _Made some breakfast._

 _Got some coffee._

 _MC:_

 _NOT WHAT I MEAN._

 _707:_

 _No need to yell, MC!_

 _Be more specific._

 _MC:_

 _Why is Yoosung in Guatemala?_

 _707:_

 _BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_

 _Awesome._

 _Yoosung:_

 _NO!_

 _NOT AWESOME!_

 _707:_

 _It's not my fault._

 _How was I supposed to know Yoosung was a lightweight?_

 _Yoosung:_

 _I told you specifically that I didn't want any alcohol!_

 _MC:_

 _What did you give him, Seven?_

 _707:_

 _Mama MC has to come in and ruin my fun._

 _I gave him a glass of rosé, ok?_

 _It's not the end of the world._

 _Yoosung:_

 _According to Lupe, I had more than that._

 _707:_

 _I'm not saying that anyone else didn't give you stuff._

 _That's not on me._

 _That's on you._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _I'll wire you some money, Yoosung._

 _We'll get you home._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Thank you, Jumin._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _You're welcome._

 _And Seven?_

 _707:_

 _Mmmmyeeesssssss?_

 _Jumin Han:_

 _You will be the one paying me back for this._

 _707:_

 _Worth it._

 _Totally worth it._

 _MC:_

 _Seven…_

 _Isn't there something you'd care to say to Yoosung for putting him in this position in the first place?_

 _707:_

 _I'm…_

 _Sorry…?_

 _MC:_

 _That's the closest you're getting to an apology, Yoosung._

 _I'd run with it._

 _Yoosung:_

 _I'll be home tomorrow._

 _Right?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _More than likely._

 _Unless there's layovers._

 _V:_

 _I'll meet you at the airport, Yoosung._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Fine._

 _Jumin Han:_

 _Assistant Kang, did you get the transfer done?_

 _Jaehee Kang:_

 _Yes, sir._

 _Your ticket's waiting for you, Yoosung._

 _Yoosung:_

 _Yay!_

 _[Yoosung has left the chatroom.]_

I couldn't wait. Soon, I'd be back home and back to my regular life. The excitement was nice while it lasted, but…Hold on. No, it wasn't. This trip to Guatemala sucked. The sooner I could get home, the better…

 **A/N: And thus, Yoosung's adventures in Guatemala come to a close. He wasn't feeling it. It's all Seven's fault. He should know better than to give Yoosung alcohol. Also, MC is always the mom. It doesn't matter what route we're taking. MC is the mother of the RFA.**

 **Now, for the last extra…I leave it to you, good people. Does anyone have any requests for something they'd like to see any of our beloved RFA members do? Any tropes you'd like me to play with? Any scenario you need in your life like yesterday? Anything else from the cutting room floor? Because I could stand a challenge. Hit me, friends. I'll see you next chapter. xx**


	17. Saeran's Emergency

The RFA became notorious for their parties for those who knew the organization existed (Thank God, they didn't know the real history of the RFA.). For as long as I've been planning them, I've never known them to have a dull moment. Then again, given its hosts, that'd be nearly impossible. They were all definitely a quirky bunch in their own special way. And I was silly enough to fall in love with the weirdest one of them all.

However, as of now, I could clock his brother upside the head with a brick. One would think Seven would've thought to add on a bathroom to the house once Saeran and I moved in. Nope. That made way too much sense. Having one bathroom will be fine! Especially when Saeran is the one hogging it while I still had an RFA party to get ready for!

"Saeran!" I pounded on the door, "What could you possibly be doing in there that's taking so long?"

"I'll be out eventually!" Saeran growled on the other side, "Shit!"

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about," he continued with a string of cursing.

"Saeran," I knocked once more, "Are you ok?"

"Fine."

"Let me in," I insisted, trying to open the door. Locked. Dammit.

"Why?"

"Just trust me," I groaned, "Anything you're having a problem with, I'm sure I can help you."

The lock came undone and the door cracked open. When I walked in, Saeran had half of his hair saturated in lightener, covered in tinfoil and a permanent scowl on his face. He was currently tending to the cut from the tinfoil on his finger. It wasn't bleeding too bad. Nothing a bandage couldn't cure.

"Saeran?" I got one out of the medicine cabinet (We didn't have any of the solid ones, so he was going to have to deal with the ones covered in little duckies.) and took his bleeding hand, "Are you ok?"

"Cut myself," he started to settle down, "I'll be fine."

"So, this is what's taking so long," I figured.

"This bleach burns like hell," he vented, "My eyeliner doesn't want to come out right. I'm regretting even saying yes to this party already."

"Alright, drama queen," I giggled, taking the bottle from him, "You want some help?"

"If it's not too much to ask for," Saeran wouldn't even make eye contact with himself in the mirror. Not that I'm surprised. This was Saeran's first RFA party after all he's been through. We just wanted him to feel normal again.

And so, I finished bleaching the rest of Saeran's hair for him and went into the kitchen. Let's see...I know I had a few cans left. There's no way Seven would even dare touch them. It wasn't his Dr. Pepper and it wasn't his Honey Buddha Chips. He didn't care. Aha! There we are! I grabbed a couple cans out of the fridge and shut the bathroom door behind me. I gave one of the bright green cans to Saeran, "Here. Drink this."

"Sprite?" Saeran looked the can over, "What the hell is this for?"

"You know that tingling feeling on the top of your head right now?"

"Yeah."

"It'll help with that," I promised, "I bleached the crap out of my hair when I was in high school and every time I did, I always had Sprite on hand to keep it from burning."

"Does that really work?" Saeran cracked it open.

"Like a charm."

"Huh..." he wasn't sure how to feel about it, but I'm guessing it was positive, "Who would've thought?"

"I know it sounds crazy," I agreed, "But it does work."

While Saeran sipped on his soda, I kept adding little pits of tin foil as I went along, "Whenever she did this for me, it always burned. But back then, I guess I deserved the pain…"

"No, you didn't," I shut him up, pulling on the last section I had left, "Don't give me that. You don't deserve any more pain than you've already had, Saeran."

"And you pulling my hair was, what, a gesture of love?"

"No," I rolled my eyes, "That's not what I meant. That was like a rubber band on your wrist kind of thing."

"I kind of liked it," he smirked, "Didn't know Saeyoung was into that sort of thing."

"He's..." my face burned hot, "No! We don't...I'm not..."

"Don't worry about it," Saeran brushed me off, "I won't tell anyone you're secretly kinky."

"I'm not...!"

"What were you saying?" he pushed me along, "After the whole hair pulling thing?"

"Consider me the human embodiment of that little can of Sprite," I kissed his cheek, finishing the last piece, "I can stop the burn she left."

"Thanks, MC," Saeran relaxed a little more, "You think we got time to do the ends, too?"

"Might as well," I shrugged, jumping up on the bathroom counter, "I've seen your brother walk into an RFA party an hour late on half an hour of sleep with a latte in his hand. I remember that like it was yesterday. V was pissed, but not for very long. He can't be mad at Seven for long. None of us can be."

"I'd like to pose an argument for that."

"I know," I bit my tongue, "You can hold a grudge, though! Like...Unnaturally long."

"It's a gift."

"But," I grabbed a bottle of conditioner out of the cabinet, "You guys are slowly getting over it. Come here. I can't reach your dye."

"Why do you have to be so short?" Saeran teased, getting to the top shelf with absolute ease.

"Show off."

"Shorty." There it was. The rarely seen, soft, sweet smile of Saeran Choi.

"You're such a dick," I laughed, squeezing a little bit of the cotton candy pink into a container.

"I come by it honestly," he kicked his feet up on the counter, "Did you think to bring a clock with you?"

"I got my phone," I stuck my tongue out at him, "You thought I wouldn't, didn't you?"

"I wasn't holding my breath," Saeran admitted, "You know, MC, I must admit, I was a bit shocked when you asked me to come to the RFA party."

"Oh yeah?" I started cleaning up, "And why's that?"

"I didn't think I'd be allowed considering I played for the other side."

"Saeran…" I scolded, "What did I tell you? Min…The bad place wasn't your fault. She had your balls in her purse and took advantage of your grudge match with Seven. It's alright. If you would've ran off with Seven, this would've been where you'd end up anyway, I'm sure."

"It's a nice thought," Saeran let out a heavy sigh, "But I probably would've skipped town sooner than become a part of the same machine with a different face."

"I understand…" Even after all this time, he was still a little not ok. But that was ok. These things take time. Speaking of things that take time, I still had to get ready. While Saeran was waiting for the bleach to take hold, I plugged my straightener in and waited for it to heat up.

"What's that for?"

"My hair's a mess," I pointed out, "And unlike someone, I can't just bleach it and it's cute again."

Once I burned myself on the iron, I knew it was ready, "Is that why your hand's all blistered up under your fingers?"

"Don't judge me."

After I finished getting all cute again, it was time to rinse the bleach out for Saeran and add in the pink for another ten. My god, this boy was high maintenance. But I knew why he was high maintenance. One night, Saeran's night terrors got the best of him and I had to be the one to calm him down. He wanted to look separate from his brother. From the one that caused him so much pain. That was the downside of having the same face. To be fair, it was a very cute face.

And I had one last thing to help him with. It's weird. I've never done this on someone else before, "Saeran, if you value your eyesight, I suggest you stay incredibly still."

"Ok," he got a bit nervous, "You have done this before, haven't you, MC?"

"Only on myself," I admitted, "But I'm sure I'll be able to do it on you, too. I have steady hands."

"If you screw this up," Saeran growled, shutting his eyes, "I swear to God, I'll kill you."

"No, you won't," I assured, "You and Seven just got back on good terms. I don't think you'd want to kill his girlfriend."

"I don't understand what you see in him," he thought, keeping his head still for me.

"He makes me smile," I explained, "He makes me feel things that words can't describe. I don't know. It's hard to say. That's how I know I love him."

"You don't make any sense, sister."

"And neither does he," I drew a thick line on his eyelid, "I guess that's why we're such a good match."

"One of you has to, though," Saeran defended.

"Says who?"

"Says me!" he squeaked.

"Saeran!" I smacked him in the forehead with the brush, "What did I say about you being still?"

"I haven't felt anything for the past four seconds," Saeran told me, "I thought you were done."

"I am done," I giggled at myself, "You're good to go."

"Not bad," he looked himself over, "Maybe you should just do this for me every day."

"Start paying me and I will," I jabbed, wrapping my arms around his waist. In a surprising turn of events, he didn't jump. Or push me off. Instead, Saeran actually hugged me back. I liked this. It wasn't just that he was comfortable in his skin again, but he was accepting of my minor gesture of affection. Maybe Saeran really was making progress.

"MC!" And here comes Seven to ruin our moment, "Are you alive? Is Saeran in there, too?"

"Yes and yes," I yelled back, shaking my head at him.

"What's taking you so long?" he worried, "Did you two start a secret club? Did you establish extraterrestrial contact? WHY WASN'T I INVITED?! I WANT TO GO TO THEIR SPACE SHIP!"

"If we didn't have the same face," Saeran grumbled, "I'd swear I was adopted."

"Don't worry, Seven," I pushed the bathroom door open, "You're not going back to the mothership any time soon. No aliens, no secret clubs."

"So, what took you so long?" Seven wondered, spinning me around.

"Saeran needed my help," I explained, "So, I helped him."

"Aesthetic things," Saeran added, "Don't worry about it."

"Your car then, my lady," Seven bowed to me, "Tis waiting outside for you."

"My thanks to you, dear Seven," I reciprocated, "On this day, may you prosper."

"Oh, God," Saeran groaned, "It's bad enough there's one of you."

It didn't matter that we just had a moment in the bathroom together. Saeran was still Saeran. He'd always be the salty boy I knew and loved.

 **A/N: I know this is kind of short, but I wasn't expecting a great, grand epic here. I did want to get a little more friendly bonding with Saeran in on this. My baby deserves all the love and mothering in the world and I've always thought that's what MC brings to the table for him. At some points through writing this particular bit, I may or may not have stumbled down a rabbit hole of Saeran fan art that made me whisper the words "Let me love you" to my computer screen. Don't judge me. You know you've done it.**

 **But for now, it's getting late. I'm tired. I think I'm going to go to bed. So thank you for sticking out my little drabble collection with absolutely no interconnecting story line whatsoever with me. Whether or not I do something like this again is still up in the air. Maybe next time, I'll take one route and make one story. Who knows? Regardless, I'll see you later. xx**


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